Kuraderu
by forever - a i n e
Summary: Vampires didn't exist. Hunters were guys who hunted animals. That was what I believed - what was real. Then reality came crashing down, and now I'm having to deal with things I've never even dreamed of. ShikixOC
1. Start of a Beginning

Hey all! This story here is a ShikixAkiya fanfic, one that I hope I'll be able to continue. :) To all the ShikixRima fans out there, sorry. I do agree they make quite the pair, which is why this story is going to be very fun - very intriguing, because somehow, I'm going to have to make it work.

This story is going to focus more on Shiki and Akiya in the beginning, and later on, bit by bit, I'm going to bring in the other characters. This is the first chapter, so it's more of an introduction, and less of the plot. It's going to get a lot more interesting, I promise you guys! :) I've tried to make this story slightly different from the norm, by adding slightly more depth in it. I'm hoping that later on, this can be a story that provokes thought as well. But of course, it's going to focus a lot more on romance - gotta have the love!

And of course, the must-say: I don't own Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino does :)

*Btw, this is the me one year later speaking, if this chapter bores you, please skip to chapter 5. I know its me being selfish

If all of the above hasn't scared you off, [gosh, I hope not] then scroll down, welcome to my story...

* * *

**Kuraderu**

..._shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction - AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu _©forever - a i n e_

**Chapter One**

_...Start of a Beginning..._

* * *

"Sweetie, you'll be fine. Cross Academy is an exceptional school." I wondered who my mom was trying to convince – herself, or I. My dad gave me a cheery wink from the driver's seat. "My little girl'll do just fine." Mom smiled too, looking hopeful for me. I twisted my lips in what I hoped could pass as a grin. My mom's expression slipped slightly. My dad laughed, then revved up the engine of the car. "Someone should be coming to see you soon – bye, my little girl!" It was the end of a five minute goodbye – the kind that I had gotten used to.

Then I was staring at the back of the little red car, watching my parents disappear in a spray of gravel and dust. Bye, mom. Bye, dad. Bye, parents who've made me transfer school – doomed me to months of ostracism – because their favourite son needed to pursue his studies in a college far from home. So we had to move house, and I had to transfer school. I sighed. It was time to say bye to the sarcastic me, too.

Looking around and seeing nobody in sight, I sat down on the sturdier of my two luggages and surveyed Cross Academy. It was one of those schools which seemed to exude an air of stateliness, managing to be old and yet not ancient. As I appraised it, I wondered how I was going to spend the next few years studying in a school so large, and so dignified.

And after half an hour of increasingly impatient waiting, I began to wonder if I was going to study in the school at all. Why wasn't anyone coming? The letter of acceptance had very clearly stated that someone would arrive to show me the way to the dorms.

I wondered what life would be like, living without my parents and brother. It was both hard to imagine, and yet not difficult at all. Staring at the horizon, I shivered slightly as the cool morning breeze swirled around me, disarraying my fringe so that my vision was slightly hampered.

Brushing the hair away from my eyes, I felt my spirits lift slightly. The blue sky was clear, and devoid of clouds. It looked like the day was going to be a sunny one.

Standing abruptly, I walked over to the gates hesitantly. Slowly, very slowly, I pushed the cold metal gently. As I applied a bit more pressure, the gates swung open before me. Swallowing, I turned and took my stuff, then, after a slight hesitation, strode inside the compound.

* * *

Struggling with the weight of the luggage, I made my way awkwardly down the path, towards the source of enthusiastic chattering. The excited buzz grew louder as I approached, and after a few minutes a large crowd of students came into view, all of them talking amongst themselves. They were all girls.

A group of guys hung sullenly back. I seemed to be witnessing some sort of extreme gender discrimination going on.

"They're at it _again_." A straw haired boy rolled his eyes at his raven haired companion, and I eyed them curiously as they walked by, shaking their heads at the same sight.

"Ah, they're at it every day. Why would today be different?"

"I dunno, I guess I just hoped that some of them would have gotten tired of those night class guys, and give us a chance."

"With guys that look like that, it's no wonder they never bother giving us second looks, really."

"Man, am I really going to have to go through school life without ever getting a girlfriend?"

I stifled a snicker. Considering a specific sentence the straw haired guy had said, I realised that I could understand each of his individual words, but strung together they made no sense at all. Night class? Was there a day class too, then? What about an afternoon class? But who in their right minds would study at night? Though that was a question I should be asking myself – and, really most teens my age.

A wave of excited muttering broke into my thoughts. Pretty sure my luggage would remain unmolested in the middle of the path, I left them there and walked towards the crowd of girls. The guys dissipated, almost disgusted.

It seemed like there was a special event going to occur, yet I couldn't remember any festivals that should be held that day. Since everyone seemed to be fixing their attentions on the gate, I stared blankly at it too. It was fashioned well, but it was still just a gate. Frowning hard, I glared at it. It remained a gate.

Then the sound of a lock being pushed sounded, and I heard an excited whisper, "_they're coming out!"_

Suddenly everyone was pushing forward to get a better look, and I stumbled as the crowd shoved forward. "Don't push, please, everyone!" A short girl with shoulder length brown hair tried to keep everyone behind the path, looking extremely harassed. As she lifted her hands to block the crowd, I noticed the white band encircling her upper arm, designed with an intricate red symbol.

The gate opened.

Wondering what everyone was getting so worked up over, I tiptoed, trying to see over the heads in front of me. Silky raven hair that reached to his shoulders, gentle obsidian eyes, pale skin and an impeccable, almost noble bearing when he walked. He was the first one out of the gate, and he was beautifully handsome. As he walked forward, behind him a group of equally pale skinned, ungodly beautiful creatures revealed themselves, all of them looking as if they had walked out of Hollywood's Most Beautiful List of the Year. Or perhaps the century.

I wondered why they were dressed in the same uniform, but one where white replaced the black that everyone else was wearing. A thought came to me, and I began to understand a little of what the straw haired boy had said.

"As beautiful as ever, girls!" I heard a cheerful voice call out.

"_Kyaaaaaa!" _

"_Aidou-senpai, look this way!" _

"_Aidou-senpai, I love you!" _

"_Aidou-senpai, marry me!" _My view was obstructed once again as more than a few girls tried to rush forward – to do what, I didn't know. Mug him? – and it wasn't until a few moments later that I could catch a glimpse of them again.

"Yes, yes, no need to get excited, girls!" The speaker was a guy with blonde hair, and light blue eyes that had a tinge of teal, although that may have been merely the effect of the sun. His features glowed with confidence and his smile was edged with a mischief that multiplied his appeal. He was shorter than his leader, yet just as handsome.

All of them were stunning, but in their own way – each of them had their own appeal. Gray eyes surveyed the crowd coldly, before closing with a sniff of disapproval and a swish of waist length light gray-brown hair. It wasn't the colour of an old woman's hair, it was just...grayish brown. It's hard to describe. Soft blonde hair that was paler than any of the others' emerged from behind the long haired female, to reveal a tall guy with a friendly smile. He was breathtakingly handsome, in a very refreshing way.

"Ichijou-senpai looks even more handsome today, doesn't he?" A girl to my left whispered excitedly to her friend.

"Yeah! Move your head, I want to take his picture!"

"Shiki-senpai! Look here please!" Handphone cameras flashed among the crowd, and I watched the school celebrities bear up a little wearily under the attention. Was there a class just for the handsome and beautiful?

"Good morning, Yuuki_._" The raven haired leader bent greeted the short, auburn haired girl. Just happening to be nearby, I saw her cheeks turn crimson as she blushed furiously.

"G-Good morning, Kaname-senpai!" Yuuki replied quickly, avoiding his eyes. Kaname smiled slightly, then walked away.

"Stop pushing! Hey, all of you!" An irritated voice snapped out, and I looked up instinctively to the person who spoke with such a self-assured authority. I couldn't see him, but he sounded too close to be one of _them_.

It was one of those times that I wished I was many inches taller than my 1.57 metres, but then that was just something I had been wishing for a long time. I guess I should be grateful I had even grown at all – my parents were so worried about my sudden but rare growth spurts that my mom had resorted to trying out all sorts of weird food on me that was supposed to make me grow. I remain a living testament that long beans really _don't _help you grow taller.

"Man, you're late, Zero!" Zero? As in really, Zero?

"I was held up." Maybe it was his nickname or something, the guy sure didn't sound like a...zero. Zeroes should sound like nothings, right?

"That's not fair, Ze..." I wasn't listening anymore, my gaze drawn to the rest of the Hollywood's Most Beautiful. A guy that would have been auburn haired if the red in his hair had not been so domineering walked beside a dazzlingly attractive blonde, both of them walking too close to be merely friends. I guessed they were a couple. The guy had one of those eyes that seemed to change colour every time they were in a different light, and now they were a deep cerulean, with blanked emotions behind that drew me in. I blinked, then looked away.

The last was a guy with honey tinged hair and golden eyes that just eyed the crowd indifferently, his cool orbs giving nothing away. They walked together, behind Kaname-san, speaking softly amongst themselves.

"Akatsuki-senpai looks absolutely stunning today!" As a chorus of agreements sounded behind me, I stared at _their_ backs, moving away in a group of white among the sea of black uniforms. It wasn't like I was a nun or something; when I saw an attractive guy, I would appreciate his looks. And the guys that just walked by were definitely much more than merely attractive. Yet while I acknowledged that fact, I didn't feel any attraction towards them, and barely even any appreciation. What I felt was almost a kind of apprehension...aversion. It disturbed me. I wondered if it was possible for people to be beautiful to the point of making me nervous.

Since young, my intuition had always made me irrationally averse to some people. Even without speaking more than a sentence to them, I would just not want to get to know them better – it was one of those feelings where you know there's absolutely no chemistry between the two of you. Most times, I didn't get why as all those people later turned out to be perfectly nice.

When my mom heard about it, she shook her head and smiled. "Well, I guess your intuition is just very bad. If that's the case, you shouldn't trust it, you know. Judge people based on their character, not an innate feeling."

Yet I had never felt that way about so many people at once. Huh, maybe I was being jealous, who knew?

Once their source of excitement had left, the crowd slowly began to dissipate, the girls comparing pictures snapped of their favourite guys. A few of them had apparently even taken pictures of the girls – Ruka and Rima, as I overheard unintentionally, though I had no idea which girl had which name. Later I heard that apparently the guys, too embarrassed to be caught dead in front of the gates in the morning, would buy pictures from the girls.

I found myself next to my luggage, and stared at it contemplatively. _Oh, right._ I had completely forgotten. _What am I going to do now? _

The large bags were receiving their share of odd looks – and who could blame them, for why on earth would one see a luggage in the school two months past lessons started? Uncomfortable, I was about to pick them up and get myself lost in the compound when I heard the sound of running footsteps, followed by my name, "Kaneshi-san!"

Relieved, I turned and straightened. It was the short, brown haired girl – Yuuki, and a tall silver haired guy who was walking behind her, his hands buried in his pockets. A band identical to Yuuki's encircled his upper arms.

Was that Zero?

"Are you Kaneshi Akiya-san?" Panting very slightly, Yuuki stopped before me, noting my luggage and clothes.

"Yeah, I am." I smiled. "You are..."

"Kurosu Yuuki, and over there that's Kiryuu Zero." Spot on! "Sorry we didn't meet you at the gates! The Night Class ended late today, so I was unable to make it, and Zero woke up late as well..." This time, I heard the capitals in the words – the Night Class.

"No, it's fine. Uh, could you tell me where the dorms are?"

"Ah, we'll bring you there!"

I blinked. "but don't you have class? There is class now, right?"

"Yes, but it's fine." She replied, smiling.

"Right, if you're sure, then thank you very much!" I bowed slightly.

"Ah, no, it's nothing!"

Zero had finally reached us, and without a word, he walked over to my belongings.

"Kiryuu-san," I spoke quickly, "I'm fine carrying that. It's pretty heavy..." Lifting it effortlessly, he gave me a look, then walked on, looking as if the luggage was as heavy as your average handbag. Not that I could visualize him carrying a handbag. Kurosu-san and I caught up to him easily, and while taking in my surroundings and committing them to my doubtful memory, I asked a few questions.

"Were those people in white the Night Class students?" I queried, curious.

"Ah, you saw them? Yes, they are." Kurosu-san replied.

"There are so few of them?"

"No, just that the rest live in different dorms. Oh, about dorms, Day Class students can't visit Night Class dorms, or approach them when they are in class." Oh. I guess there would be some girls daring enough to do that. Maybe all of them, from what I saw.

"Do they really study at night?"

"Yup, they do."

"Isn't that weird?"

"Well, that's why it's called the Night Class." She was evading me, and her discomfort was getting obvious. Not wanting to go over like the Spanish Inquisition, I changed the topic.

"So I'm in the Day Class?"

"Yes, with the rest of us!"

"Is there an...Afternoon Class?" Dumb question, I know, but I couldn't help it.

She laughed, but not scornfully. She looked way too nice to do something like that. "No, there isn't."

"Oh, I see..." I grinned self-deprecatingly. Darn. No late morning waking ups. "So are there any other rules apart from that one about the Night Class?"

"No, just normal school rules. Like don't be late for class, no eating in class, that kind of thing. Oh, and the dorm closes at midnight, so try to get back by then. There shouldn't be any trouble with that, though, because students aren't allowed out of school during the school term."

I nodded, keeping that in mind. Though the school was unarguably beautiful, it didn't look like a nice place to spend the night alone. You know, it was a bit too haunted mansion-y, with its architecture and its size and its atmosphere and..uh...

Right, fine, I'm afraid of the dark. Perhaps not the dark, per se, but what lies within – even though I'm not so sure myself whether I believe in that, either. Ghosts. I suppose I've never outgrown that fear of the supernatural.

It's fun, though, to trace back ghost stories. ("the friend of my friend's friend told my friend's friend who told my friend who told me she saw..."). Who the hell was your friends' friend's friend? I never got the answer.

Realizing my mind was wandering, I shook myself out of it, trying to remember the path we had taken so far. We had passed a tall, large building, which I guessed was the classroom. Before us was another one, which was attached to the classroom building. The door, made of a dark wood, was welcoming and I felt a slight surge of anticipation. What did my home for the next few years look like? Zero pushed the door open.

"We're here. This is the Day Class' dorm for females." He said, pausing in the middle of the room. The interior of the building had the same air as the building itself – elegant, old, and welcoming. Yuuki smiled, walking to the staircase with me following. "This is the common room, where you can get together, have a celebration – anything you want. There are three levels, your room is on the..." She paused, glancing at Zero. "Where is it?" Taking out a piece of paper, Zero scanned it briefly, then said, "third level." Even after carrying my stuff for so long, he didn't even look strained.

"Sorry I forgot." Kurosu-san grinned sheepishly.

"It doesn't matter, Kurosu-san."

"Ah, calling me Yuuki's fine, Kaneshi-san!"

I grinned as we made our way up the stairs. "You can call me Akiya too, Yuuki-kun." The banisters were polished to a shine, and I felt strangely alone in the place as we walked upwards. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the dormitory was currently empty, because everyone else was in class, but somehow I doubted it. I missed home already.

Glancing at the slip of paper again, Zero stopped outside the fourth door from the staircase, on the left of the corridor. "This one." He passed me the key, to which a line of red string with a gold stripe tied a piece of plastic to it. The name on the plastic read "_Kaneshi Akiya"._ I slid the key into the keyhole, turned it, and opened the door.

The room was pretty big, with two beds on each side. Both were unoccupied, but the left one had three sets of uniforms folded and laid neatly on it. "With your arrival, there is an odd number of students, so you have the entire room to yourself. Meals are served downstairs, or if you want there is a kitchen on the first floor for you to cook your meals. Mmm, that's all I can think of for now, if there's anything else you need or want to know, feel free to ask us!" While Yuuki was talking, I surveyed the room, not sure whether or not I was happy that I had the whole room to myself.

A dresser stood between the wall and each bed, with a mirror and a lamp above each one. The lamps were old ones, not by age but by design. There was a bookshelf on the left corner of the room, and a study table that took up the remaining length of the back of the room. A lamp sat on the middle of the table, and two chairs sat side by side, pushed neatly in. The room on the left was the toilet, where toiletries were provided. If I ran out, I could buy more from the shop beside the canteen.

It was a cosy room, and I knew I could get used to it. At least, I hoped I could.

"So do I change and get ready for class?" I asked her, eyeing the uniform on the bed. The skirt looked a bit shorter than I was used to. In fact, the skirt itself was something I wasn't used to – I was wearing jeans. I was always wearing either jeans or shorts – my parents had given up trying to force me into those undivided pieces of cloth that were always at or higher than the knee.

"Yes, we'll go together – we're in the same class. Umm, the timetable is under the clothes, we'll wait for you outside!" Yuuki left the room, dragging Zero out along with her. Picking up a set of uniform, I went into the bathroom to change. Not wanting them to wait, I rushed through everything, not bothering to retie my hair. Quickly splashing water on my face, I towelled my face hastily before grabbing my books and rushing out the door.

When I opened the door, Yuuki glanced up at me, slightly surprised, but Zero just straightened and walked off. "Let's go."

Hmm, I think I've finally gotten his personality down. Anti-social.

Took me long enough, yup, I know.

It turned out I was right about the building joined to the dorms, and as we walked towards the classroom, I found myself getting nervous. What was my new class going to be like? I had no idea, and I was scared to death. Possibilities kept coming to me – what if they hated me? What if I couldn't fit it? What if I was the dumbest in there?

All the what ifs contributed to a very silent walk.

By the time we reached the classroom, I could feel dread and uneasiness turning my stomach into chaos. Man, I really needed the toilet. Yuuki turned to me, her eyes concerned, as if to ask, "_all right?"_, while Zero spared me a fleeting glance. I nodded. _Stop being such an idiot._ I scolded myself mentally. _Hold your head high and...don't trip. _

"...and so you substitute the _x_, and place it over here, and you get – Kurosu-san! Kiryuu-san! You're late!" The bespectacled teacher turned round, eyeing us over his black wire rimmed specs. Without waiting to hear Yuuki's explanation, he bulldozed over her, setting off on what looked like the beginning of a tirade. "Bad enough that you don't even listen in class, Kurosu-san, now you – who's that?" He had noticed me finally, and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I'm a new student, sensei. I've just transferred in today."

"Ah." He stared at me, then blinked. "Ah! Kurosu-san," his eyes flashed to Yuuki, "Kaien Kurosu-san seems to have informed me about that...what's your name?"

"Kaneshi Akiya."

"Kaneshi-san, you may take a seat over there," he waved a hand carelessly at an unoccupied seat somewhere in the back of the class, "and Kurosu-san, Kiryuu-san, as you have a valid reason, you're excused this time. But keep this is mind: even though both of you are prefects, that does not entitle you to special treatment! Kurosu-san, if your grades in mathematics do not pick up, I'm afraid you will have to attend lessons after school."

Looking downright miserable, Yuuki bowed. "Yes, Ujiro-sensei."

"Good. Now take your seat." He turned dismissively.

By that time, I had already reached the empty seat – it was an aisle seat, so I was spared the tripping over my classmate's feet and thoroughly embarrassing myself. Walking stiffly under the eyes on me, I couldn't help hearing the whispering in the class, rustling like a breeze that grew stronger as it went. A girl with shocking, definitely dyed red hair watched me as I sat beside her, and as I studied her in return, she said, "tough luck, having to get Ujiro on your first day."

I glanced at her nose ring, then grinned and shook my head. "Yup, tough luck. Is he always like that?"

"You mean him being such an ass? Yeah," she continued without waiting for a reply, "pretty much."

I laughed. "You two up there! Stop talking!" Ujiro-sensei shouted at us, banging his hand on the blackboard for emphasis.

"See what I mean?" My new tablemate turned to the front and crossed her arms, yawning widely. Ujiro-sensei pretended not to notice.

"Kaneshi Akiya. Nice to meet you." I inclined my head. I meant it.

"Fukuoka Mitsuko. Nice to meet you and yada yada all that crap. Call me Mitsuko. So, why'd you transfer two months into the school year?"

How should I say it? Caught in all the necessary politeness and uncertainty, Mitsuko-san was a breath of fresh air. It was easy to trust to her, because one look at her told you that what you said, she wasn't telling anyone. She wasn't going to gossip about anyone, because she simply didn't care. She was one of those people who were easy to read on the outside, but were frustratingly difficult to read when it came to what was within them. Most of the time, that was because they themselves were unsure, and were an uncertain mess inside, but somehow I knew Mitsuko didn't fit into that category.

"My brother decided to further his studies in Shokugan Academy – not too far from here. My parents wanted to make it easier for him, so we moved over." I shrugged. "The rest of it kind of explains itself."

"Huh...so, have you seen the Night Class yet?" She was testing me, probing me with words.

"Yeah, I have. They're stunning. Have _you_ seen them?" She stared at me for a moment, then a slow smile grew on her face.

"Hell yes. It's pretty impossible not to, don't you think, when my roommate pastes blown up pictures of them everywhere – on the walls, on the dresser, on the ceiling, and – can you believe it – the freaking _toilet._"

I nearly laughed out loud, biting my lip at the last moment. "Your baths must be a pretty...interesting experience."

"You tell me?" She grinned back. "Can you imagine how it feels like to undress in front of a grinning Ichijou-senpai?"

"Sexy."

She laughed.

I wasn't sure, because that was the way I was, but then I felt like I had made a friend. When I opened my math book, something hard dropped on the table, and I picked it up – it was the dorm key. My key. My room. My life. It was all changing, and I hoped I could keep up with it all. I smiled, then decided to face what would come, face on.

* * *

**T H I R D P E R S O N **

When the gate opened, the wind blew a jumbled mix of scents towards his nose, and he ignored it, trying with a trick of his mind not to think too much about it. While he was mentally counting Pocky's jumping over a fence, something niggled at him. Something was wrong...? No, just different. In a bad way. But no matter how he tried, he couldn't figure it out – it was like one of those dreams which stay just out of your memory when you awaken, so tantalizingly close they seemed to tickle your brain, yet you could never recall them when you were trying to –they only came to you when you stopped trying.

So that's what he did.

While he emptied his brain of thoughts, he saw that the others had noticed it too. They weren't unsettled, not even close to it, but they were looking. Searching. Rima, especially, had sensed something was different, and had glanced at him quizzically a few times already. Hanabusa hadn't seemed to notice anything, and was currently grinning that smile of his that seemed to win all the female population over with just a glance.

Then he caught it.

"Kaname."

"Yes, I know." Without turning around, Kaname nodded to one person in the crowd. She wasn't dressed in the school uniform, and the way she stood seemed to convey a lost feeling, yet there was something about her that was different. Not in the unique-makes-a-person-fall-in-love-way, but in a bad way.

"She smells wrong." Ichijou said softly.

Akatsuki was frowning, staring at her, then he looked forward. "I can't smell anything."

"I almost couldn't, either. Even though I know what I'm looking for, I can only barely smell it." Ichijou smiled easily.

They had walked past her by then, and he turned around, searching for her in the crowd. He was curious; wondering what made her smell like...that. When he saw her, she was spacing out, looking but not really seeing. Which was just as well, he didn't want her to get the wrong idea when she saw him looking at her. You never knew – there was this girl who announced to the class that Ichijou was going to marry her when he wished her a 'good morning'. He closed his eyes and looked away. These girls were crazy.

"We'll talk about this later." Kaname said, turning to them. His gaze swept past them then, focusing on something, then his dark eyes turned cold. "Not much later."

Yuuki was running towards the new transfer student, bowing apologetically.

_Not near Yuuki. _

* * *

**A/N: **Whoa, Kaname, so protective of Yuuki... Have you guys been wondering who the mysterious 'he' is? I guess not - it's pretty obvious, yeah? This chapter is the beginning, so not as much romance as I'd like...from here I guess you can tell the pairing is going to come out slowly. Not too slowly, though - one side of the pairing is going to emerge, very soon. You'll see!

And please review - it means loads to me. Thanks for sparing that half minute or so :)

sweet dreams,

forever - a i n e


	2. The Unimaginable

Hey all! In my last chapter (which is my first one :D Pun, pun.) I forgot to add a foreword and A/N, as you guys probably know. When I tried to edit the chapter, for some reason, both of them absolutely refused to show up in the actual thing. So I left it, till today when I finally figured how to edit the chapter (it turned out I'd been editing the document manager :D). So it would be great if you could check out Chapter 1 again, though of course it's fine if you can't. Sorry 'bout that!

Well, I wrote another horrendously long chapter - 5,000++ words. I'm not too sure, should I cut down the number of words? This chapter starts the ball rolling, so there isn't much Shiki here, though he'll be seeing very much of Akiya. The next chapter, though, will be very interesting...as you'll see. :)

I don't own Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino does. However, I own my characters (Akiya & Mitsuko!)

And that's all for this very long foreword. Shake your head in relief, and welcome to my story...

* * *

"_What? You want me to stalk her?" I frowned, not in anger but in puzzlement. That was one of the more unusual measures Kaname had ever taken. And risky. _

"_That's a bit too extreme, Senri. Just keep a close eye on her." He turned away from the window, towards me. "Is that okay with you?" _

_I bowed. "As you wish, Kaname. But if you do not mind me asking...?" _

_Pulling out his chair, he sat down and crossed his fingers. "I am not sure if she poses a real danger, but I am not willing to take the risk." Poses a real danger? "Another vampire?" It was improbable, but not impossible. Yet, the scent of a vampire was distinctly different from other scents, and I was quite sure she was not one. _

"_Perhaps, but unlikely. At this point of time I do not know. Which is why I want you to keep a close surveillance on her. Just in case." I understood. Kurosu-san was in the Day Class as well. _

"_You can take the daylight slightly better than the others, so this should pose less of a problem for you. As for how you are going to do this, that is your choice. Can you begin today?" _

_I nodded, reserving comment. "Yeah, I can. If she is a threat..." _

"_Kill her." _

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction - AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu ©forever - a i n e

**Chapter Two**

_...The Unimaginable..._

* * *

"Good morning, Mitsuko." I smiled as I placed my books on the table.

"Morning." Watching me with a contemplative silence, she waited for me to seat myself before continuing. "Hey, Kaneshi, have you ever skipped class before?"

What a way to start the day.

"Nope, never. Why?" Despite my faint dread, I couldn't help grinning as I opened my book.

"Because we have double period of Ujiro at the end of today. He's a complete moron – he'll never notice." I was silent for a moment, not sure whether she was serious or joking.

Then I said, "why not? It's not like we learn anything during his lessons, anyway. What do you have in mind?"

With a mischievous glint in her eye, she laid out her plan – simple, but well thought out. "We're banned from getting out of school, right, but it's the prefects who ban us. And during class, the prefects are in school studying, aren't they?" She winked, inclining her head towards Yuuki and Zero sitting a few rows below us. "So what I was thinking is – " She paused, her words cut off abruptly by the arrival of our homeroom teacher, Miyabi Himura-sensei.

"-We slip off to the toilet and make a run for it?" I muttered sideways as the class chorused a monotonous greeting. Mitsuko snorted, amused.

"Something like that, yeah." She shook her head, smiling. "But Ujiro's lesson is just after lunch, so we can sneak away when everyone's getting back to class. It's the reason why I chose today – it's the only day in two weeks we get this opportunity." She was dead serious.

Did I want to go? Did I dare – yes, dare – to? Ever since I was young, I had never gotten into major trouble with my teachers. The only phone call my dad had ever received from school was from the school nurse. She had been confirming that my minor peanut allergy would not result in me collapsing stone dead on the floor when the jab was administered. Apart from that, my dad had remained blissfully free of calls from irate teachers, and I had done nothing that would have sparked off such.

I'm not a nerd or some goody-goody kid, it's just that doing things like playing truant had never occurred to me.

...

Okay, fine, I lie. I mean, who's never thought of skipping class before? On many of those cold, rainy mornings when I'm under my blanket in my warm, cosy bed, I've thought pretty hard about it. But every time the thought came to me, the knowledge that my brother – my perfect, flawless brother – had never done such a thing made me get up and out of bed. As far as I knew, he had never even fallen sick before in his life. Germs, failure and basically all negative things in life avoided him to an almost ridiculous extent.

Maybe, just maybe...

"So, Kaneshi? You going?"

I didn't allow myself time to hesitate, because I knew if I actually started thinking about it, it wouldn't take much to make me chicken out. Pathetic, I know.

"Sure. Count me in." I flashed her a smile that I hoped projected confidence, instead of the churning in my stomach. "Is anyone else joining us?" I hadn't paid much attention to the class politics yesterday, so I had no idea whether or not Mitsuko already had a clique of her own, and was just being nice for the sake of it.

Relief coursed through me when she replied, "nope. Just us two." Whew. No one else to see my amateurish attempt at escaping the school, and no one else to see me probably make a fool of myself.

Of course, that also meant that Mitsuko was someone I could eat lunch with, walk back to the dorms with, and basically be real friends with. Considering the type of person she was, I wondered if that was a good thing. But then again, did I truly know what kind of girl she was?

The rest of the day passed in pretty much a blur as we went through the plan a few times. Mostly, though, I just allowed whatever the teacher was saying to float out the other ear – I was way too nervous to concentrate in class. Visions of me being expelled played over and over again in my mind, along with tearful scenes of anguished parents. However, more than afraid, more than ashamed, I felt excited. What would it feel like? My first try at skipping class...

* * *

"Act natural. We're just walking back to the dorms to get some stuff we left behind. Look innocent." Mitsuko hissed at me under her breath, frowning at my pale face, where drops of perspiration were already beginning to form. I had the faint suspicion I was turning green. "At the very least, stop looking like we're going to break into a bank, Kaneshi."

Easy for her to say. She was a pro – I was completely new to this. Swallowing hard, I inhaled deeply. "Better?"

"No."

Ah, whatever. With her glaring at every person who chanced a look, no one would dare to stop us, anyway.

It was a good thing I had skipped lunch, though. Otherwise – bon voyage! I'd likely puke up whatever I ate all over the ground, and that would really be a sight.

Five minutes ago, when the bell to signify the end of lunch rang, Mitsuko and I had hurried out the canteen, under the pretence of returning to our dorms to retrieve the books for the next lesson. I knew exactly what was going to happen next, for I had gone through it in my mind countless times. Walk to the dorms, wait there for five minutes or so till everyone had gone to class, then sneak out of school through the gate. Easy, as long as we didn't get caught.

Only, as we walked towards the side of the dorms, where it was unlikely anyone would see us, I thought I could feel eyes on my back. I tried not to keep glancing over my shoulder ("That's a dead giveaway," Mitsuko had said) but the queer tingling on the nape of my neck was hard to ignore. I could almost feel a pair eyes on me, could almost swear we were being watched...

This paranoia was going to kill me.

"You okay?" Mitsuko asked me as she lowered herself to a crouch, leaning against the wall of the building. Unable to help myself, I peeked around the side of the wall, wondering what I was looking for. No one was in sight.

"Yeah." I sat myself beside her, beginning the long process of waiting. "Did you see anyone?" Huh, maybe she wasn't as composed as I thought she was, or perhaps she was just trying to fill the silence with some conversation.

Regardless, I answered her question before asking one of my own. "Nope. Hey, Mitsuko, have you done this before?"

"In my previous school, many times."

Oh. Absently rubbing my cold fingers, I felt much better – see, no wonder she was so good at this.

I wanted to laugh at how sad I sounded. Well, there was always a first time for everything...and not everyone was good at some things.

"What about in this school?"

"Never." She flashed me a smile. I blinked. "Never? Why not?"

She shrugged, staring straight ahead. "It's always more fun with someone else. I guess I never really found somewhere to fit in, over here." Discomfort showed in her voice, and the way she avoided my eyes. I realised also what the information meant – how _much_ it said in that short sentence, and I was truly grateful to be able to be her friend. That she considered me a friend. Before the awkward silence had time to settle in, she stood abruptly, and walked over to the side of the wall, scanning the area behind us swiftly.

"Way's clear. Are you ready?"

This was it. Here, now, I could say no, and we could go back to class, pretend nothing had happened, and endure Ujiro for the rest of the day. Mitsuko and I would still be friends, I was quite sure, and there would be no risk, nothing that would involve my perfect record. For a brief moment, I was truly tempted.

Then I realised this wasn't just about proving something to Mitsuko. It was about me, too. Recalling the thought that had slipped from my mind a short time ago, I knew this was also about proving something to myself – who I was, who I wanted to be, who I _could_ be. Not that after this I was going to become an all-out gangster, just that I knew that this was something I needed to do.

"Yup. Let's go."

We walked hurriedly out into the open, focusing on the black gate as our goal. I could feel the tension in every muscle in my body, and I could feel also a sudden, extreme sense of vulnerability – we were in the open, visible to anyone who happened to walk by.

I felt myself begin to walk faster, and Mitsuko's strides lengthened beside me. The distance was short, probably only two hundred metres or so, and one that I would normally never have noticed. But now we seemed to take ages to reach the gate – every second was stretched, and the sound of every step we made seemed to echo in my ears.

A millennia or two later, we finally reached the gate. I let out a relieved breath I hadn't realised I had been holding. All business, Mitsuko attacked the gate, knowing how precarious our position was.

Then she cursed. "Damn it." My heart sank.

"What?" I peered around her hands, to see the bronze metal object she was tugging at furiously. Suddenly, I could almost feel the unseen eyes boring into my back. "They padlocked this. I left my lock picking stuff in my room." She looked up, and we stared at each other, both knowing what had to be done, and neither wanting to be the one to say it.

"Go; I'll be fine here. I'll hide somewhere." Scanning my surroundings swiftly, I spotted a large, ancient oak tree.

"You sure?" Mitsuko asked. I heard the urgency in her voice.

"Yes." I pushed her away in the direction of the dorm. "Now go."

She nodded, then turned and strode off back to the dorm. One person was harder to spot than two. I ran for the tree, not bothering to slow down. Instead, I braked myself against the oak itself, slamming roughly into the bark. I stood there for a few moments, giving my pounding heart time to settle. It was fine, we could still do this.

_Lock picking stuff, _I mused. Was I in bad company? Probably. Or so my parents would say? Looking past her faults, Mitsuko was a nice person and really, could I call them faults?

Well...probably some of them. Lock picking was not exactly good. Okay, it was bad. But I wasn't going to judge a person because they could open a lock!

Sighing, I sat down on the slightly damp grass, l leaned against the trunk of the tree, then looked upwards. The sky seen through the leafy branches was blue, the leaves were green, and –

Wait a minute.

Craning my neck backwards, I stared at the place my eyes had just rested on – where I had seen a brief, but sure glimpse of white. Impossible. But then before I could dismiss it as a trick of the sunlight, I caught a glimpse of white again, among the branches, hidden by the leaves. No way! Shooting to my feet, I turned to run before realizing – there was nowhere to run to. If I sprinted out, I would be exposing myself again.

If I stayed...I turned back slowly, tensing as the white _thing_ dropped to the ground before me. The first thing I saw was his midnight blue eyes. His auburn hair was slightly messy, but his uniform wasn't even rumpled. His white uniform. I stared at him.

He didn't say anything, just waited for me to start screaming, or whatever he thought I would do.

I didn't know what to do.

So we stood there staring at each other for a few moments, before he finally spoke. "Hello."

Hello yourself, dude.

His hands in his pockets, his gaze uncaring and unruffled, his voice holding just the right amount of disinterest, he sounded like everything was perfectly normal. In fact, he made it look like _I_ was the one who had jumped _him_ from the blasted tree!

But he was from the Night Class, and though at that moment I hated to admit it, he was stunningly handsome. Make a good impression, Akiya, come on...

"What on earth were you doing up there!" Fine, so I wasn't so smooth. Come on, he could have fallen on me! I could have died!

I wanted to kick myself.

He shrugged. "I felt like it." It was absolutely unfair that he could look as good as he did with a leaf in his hair and dirt on the hem of his shirt. He must have noticed my glance, for he raised his hand casually, uncaringly, to brush away the offending bit of foliage. He looked like model advertising eco-friendly clothes, with the leaf floating downwards beside him, the tree as a backdrop, and his unbelievably breathtaking features.

Then I realised I was staring. Blushing, I looked away.

"What are you doing out? Isn't it your sle– isn't it after class for you already?" Now that I thought about it, if they studied at night, then that meant they slept during the day. Was that even possible?

"Then I can go anywhere I want, right?" His voice was low, enamouring, with an almost permanent note of apathetic indifference. "Since it's after class."

Huh. He made sense. Then why was it I had never seen any of the Night Class students on campus? I was sure I would have noticed if they had – the wild screaming of hundreds of girls couldn't be wrong.

This conversation wasn't going anywhere. Why were we even having it, anyway?

"That's true...I guess. Uh, sorry I disturbed you, um, feel free to go back up the...um, tree." Fully expecting him to turn around and walk away, his sudden question took me by surprise.

"Why are you here?"

Something about the way he said that made me pause. He wasn't why I was under the tree. He was asking something else, and I frowned, confused. "Here?" I echoed.

"Yeah...here in Cross Academy."

"I study here. Why shouldn't I be here?" Not a little irritated, I met his gaze defiantly.

His eyes narrowed for a split moment, then returned to their former uncaring state, albeit with an almost undetectable surprise. "If you say so."

Thoroughly puzzled by now, I was about to question him – and I could see he was really about to walk away – when I heard my name being called softly, cautiously.

"Kaneshi." I turned instinctively – it was Mitsuko, running towards the gate, searching for me. A small gray bag gave off metallic soundings clinks as she ran._"Kaneshi." _I needed to go. Turning back to him, I prepared to say an embarrassed goodbye.

Instead, I froze, feeling a kind of chill seeping into my bones.

He was gone.

He wasn't on the open ground, wasn't hiding anywhere I could see, wasn't back on the tree. He had disappeared.

"Kaneshi, where _are _you?_"_ As I stood there dumbly, only one thought came to me. It wasn't what I should have been thinking – really, it was the total opposite. But I couldn't help it, and it bothered me, the way it stuck stubbornly in my mind. _I'd forgotten to ask his name._

I shook my head violently. Forcing my limbs into motion, I turned and fled towards my friend. Relief broke through in her hazel eyes as I appeared, stumbling from the shadow of the tree. "What took you so long?"

I paused. "Nothing." I lied. "Sorry." Her eyes didn't leave me. Instead, she studied me for a moment, hearing something in my voice. Trying calm my racing heart, I tried to look as guiltless as possible. It must have worked, for she shrugged the apology off, instead turning her attention towards the lock before her. Hah, my guiltless look still worked, after all.

Taking out a long piece of wire from the bag, she pushed it gently into the hole, and after a few moments of gut-wrenching silence, where I could almost taste our nervousness in the heavy air, the lock clicked. With a triumphant, but low "Yes!" she pushed the gate open. It swung with barely a creak, and we were out, giggling hysterically and dashing out to our freedom.

Not knowing where to go, I let Mitsuko lead, content to just follow as we ran through the forest. We didn't need to run for long. In a few minutes, a path appeared, one that led to a small village, visible from where we had slowed to a walk. "What's that place called?" I asked, slightly breathless.

Her eyebrows arched upwards. "You don't know?" I smiled, and she looked away, ruffling her hair with a slight embarrassment. "Right, otherwise you wouldn't be asking, huh. It's Takuya Town. Everyone goes here during weekends or holidays, when we're allowed out of school." We were entering the town already – it was really, really close – and I took my first look at it, eyeing it with a new respect.

It had the friendly, easy-going atmosphere of a small town where everybody knew everyone else. It felt nice to be walking down the street, hearing the sound of our footsteps against the cobbled floor, and glancing into shops that offered a variety of goods – from old antiques, to clothes that didn't all shout logos, to takoyaki. But it had modern elements, too – I spotted a manga stall a few shops away, opposite a cafe decorated all in pink. Mitsuko shook her head in distaste.

"Oh. Uhh...is it okay to be walking here in school uniform?" I muttered sideways to her, suddenly feeling very self conscious at the glances we were receiving. She shrugged. "Yeah, probably. It doesn't matter – what are they gonna do, jail us or something?" Her smile took on a decidedly wicked curve as she continued, "I don't think so."

I laughed. My stomach growled.

Oops. Mitsuko stared at me, then burst into laughter. "Oh yeah, you didn't eat any lunch, right? Come on! I know just the place to eat." Taking me by the arm, she dragged me around the corner of the street, towards a small, quaint bakery, whose signboard read "Decadent Delights". No, no, I wanted food! Real food! Not pastries that melted away into nothing the moment they entered your mouth.

My reluctance probably showed on my face, because she grinned at my expression, and practically dragged me inside. "Believe me, the food here is great." One look inside the shop proved her statement – it was nearly completely full, with girls inside either chatting noisily or sipping a shared latte with their boyfriends, smiling shyly.

"Oh darn, it's a full house here. Let's go hunt for food somewhere else." I turned before she could reply, wanting out.

"Not so fast." Mitsuko shook her head in amusement, and didn't relinquish her thumb and forefinger grip on my collar as she dragged me inside. "We'll get something to go. You got to at least try one!" Rolling my eyes, I settled grumpily at the end of the long, long queue of people, knowing that resistance was futile. Mitsuko was more like a force of nature than a person – unstoppable, unpredictable. And, the smell of freshly baked bread with hints of cinnamon and meat pie was...tempting.

I was hungry, and not thinking all that well.

As we shuffled forwards with the line, I allowed my gaze to wander around the cafe, noting with relief that we were not the only students inside. Though, predictably, there were no other students from Cross Academy.

I paused, studying a honey blonde guy sitting beside the window. He was sitting alone, occupying the only silent table in the entire establishment. His gaze was focused on something outside – his concentration was so intense, that his presence seemed to be slightly...unreal. Like he wasn't really there, even though I could see plainly that he was. It was an indescribable, queer feeling that made it difficult to draw my eyes away from him.

I noticed other female patrons of the store were having similar problems, and unsurprisingly so – he was undeniably, strikingly handsome. His honey blonde hair accentuated his light brown eyes, and with his slight tan, he was... was the kind of guy every girl wished they would meet on the beach and get together with. He looked like a jock, and was most likely captain of some sport – my guess was the football team, though he was a little lean for that. It was no wonder the cafe was so lively, then, with girls twirling strands of their hair between their fingers, nudging each other and giggling loudly.

Glancing out of the shop, where his gaze was utterly fixated, I was surprised to find nothing. There were people walking, but he wasn't looking at them. He was just staring...

Weird.

"What would you like?" A black haired girl at the counter smiled brightly, flashing our uniforms a glance. I shifted uneasily.

"A cinnamon roll to go." Completely unaffected, Mitsuko pointed to a large, sugary looking cinnamon roll displayed under the counter.

"For every item you buy, you are entitled to take one slip of paper from the lucky draw box," the girl gestured towards a cardboard box on the side of the counter. "The grand prize is a month's free supply of any bread we provide." She spoke quickly as she placed the cinnamon roll in a quirky plastic bag.

"Kaneshi. Get something."

"I'll take the chocolate muffin." I shrugged, before turning to Mitsuko. "You sound like my mom." I winced as her foot connected with my shin, creating a dull _thwack_ sound. Ouch. I narrowed my eyes, then grinned as, looking supremely unconcerned, Mitsuko dipped her hand in the box.

"What'd you get?" I peeked over her shoulder as I placed the money on the counter, waiting for my muffin.

The slip of paper read, _'Nice try! :)'_

"Nothing, I guess." Mitsuko dumped the paper in another box, filled with crumpled slips of paper. "Thanks." I smiled at the counter girl as I picked up my muffin. With my other hand, I rummaged in the box, picking out a slip of paper at random, and pulling it out. Expecting to see a sentence of some kind, I stared at it.

"Hmm, that's weird." Mitsuko murmured, tilting her head, puzzled.

It was red...Blood red.

"Um," I turned to the girl, who was filling a cup of coffee from an espresso machine. "Yes?" Placing the coffee on the counter, she collected the money and turned to me with a smile. I raised the paper for her to see. "This-"

The sound of a chair crashing to the ground reverberated in the bakery, cutting into my sentence. A startled silence descended, and I jumped, spinning around to see the same guy I had noticed earlier staring at me, his eyes wide. Shock showed in his eyes, and he was standing as if trying to prevent himself from leaping forwards. To me. His eyes flickered from the paper to me, then rested finally on my face.

I couldn't move under his disbelieving, intense gaze. For a moment there, I forgot to breathe.

Then, as if suddenly remembering where he was, the guy glanced around the bakery, where the silence was so complete you could have heard a pin drop. A brunette at the back began coughing, sounding like she was choking.

"Sorry." The guy muttered, throwing on the table a crisp note that was probably ten times what his meal was worth, and walked out the stall without a backward glance. Leaving behind him a very awkward silence.

"Uh," The girl at the counter cleared her throat uneasily. "What was that you were saying?" Noise slowly began to return to the shop as the patrons turned back to their tables. Then she noticed the paper I was holding. Frowning, she leaned forward, studying it. "Did you get that from the box?" I nodded. "I suppose there's some mistake, there isn't even supposed to be coloured paper in there." The other customers were getting impatient by now, and I could tell she just wanted us out of the place. "Do you want to – "

" –No, it's fine." I shook my head and smiled to take the bite off my words. "Let's go." Mitsuko was already walking away as she said that. Not feeling particularly hungry any more, I followed her out of the shop...into the rain.

"What the f-!" Mitsuko swore, cutting her words off at the last moment. I guessed that was for my sake. How could it have rained so suddenly? A few hours ago it had been bright and sunny, with barely any clouds in the sky. I would have passed it off for a freak shower of rain, if not for the fact that it was slowly but steadily getting heavier.

"Kane – Akiya-kun! Fukuoka-san!" With dread coiling itself around my heart, I turned around. I knew that voice. From the corner of my eyes, Mitsuko mouthed the expletive vehemently. Yuuki and Zero were down the street, striding quickly through the rain towards us, under an umbrella.

I couldn't believe this.

"Run!" Mitsuko hissed, turning and dashing down the street, with me just behind her.

"Hey! You two!_"_ I heard Zero shout angrily. We ignored him, and I thought I heard a low curse, followed by pursuing footsteps. Blinking water out of my eyes, I struggled to see in the rain.

But crap, the guy sure could run! Drops of rain splashed heavily on us as we ran, fired with fear and adrenaline. Sprinting around the corner of the street, we took a right turn, slipping on the wet ground and narrowly avoiding a group of girls. "Sorry!" I yelled over my shoulder, as loud as I dared. I heard Yuuki's swift apology over a few startled exclamations and the sound of dropped umbrellas behind us.

"Akiya-kun! Wait, please! Fukuoka-san!"

Roughly brushing the water and wet strands of hair from my eyes, I spotted what looked like a long staircase a few feet before us, and before I could think about it, I grabbed Mitsuko. "There!" Swinging us around, we dashed down the stairs. To my left was a small opening to the probably deserted building. We ran inside, hoping Yuuki hadn't seen us.

Ducking behind the wall, we stood as quietly as possible, and I tried not to gulp in air too loudly. Holding my breath as running footsteps approached, I prepared myself to get caught.

_My first day in school_, I couldn't help but think, _and I'm already on the run. _

The footsteps neared. Yuki couldn't be more than a few feet away. Then she was a few inches away and...the footsteps passed us.

I blinked disbelievingly, feeling my insides relax. Inhaling deeply – my vision was beginning to spin from lack of air –, I sank to the ground in relief. I could hear Mitsuko panting on the other side of the doorway.

"You do realise, of course, that when we get back to school they're going to kill us?" I told her while attempting to wring my soaked shirt dry. She blinked, then slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Shit, I didn't think of that!"

Then, for no reason at all, we began to laugh.

We were soaked from the rain, our food had dropped somewhere while we'd been fleeing the prefects, and we were in an abandoned building with a certain scolding awaiting us when we returned back to school.

"What _else_ can go wrong?" Mitsuko choked out between her laughter. I shook my head. "Nothing much, I suspect."

I should have known. Even idiot that I was, I should have _known_ not to say it.

Famous last words, Akiya.

"_Hehehehe...So lucky...I'm so lucky..." _The both of us froze, laughter dying in our throats. Suddenly, I was aware of the unseen eyes watching me, except that this time there was a definite feeling of accompanying malice.

Mitsuko sprang to her feet. "Who are you?" She yelled, scanning the entire room. But the rain was pouring heavier than ever outside, and there were no windows in the room. There wasn't much sunshine out, and what little there was had only the doorway to get through. It was nearly impossible to see clearly anything more than a few feet away.

"_Girls, huh...sweet, delicious...I love girls..." _A sudden chill ran down my spine, and fear sent tingles down my arm. True fear; not the exhilarating, thrilling kind, but the kind that froze you to the spot, immovable. The kind that made your insides twist and a sour taste come to your mouth. There was danger here, real danger.

"Mitsuko...let's get out of here."

"No way, I'm gonna beat the _shit_ out of whoever's playing this lame joke – how dare he-" She stopped, her words cut off abruptly. Like glowing embers suddenly revealed, a pair of eyes sprang open in the inky blackness of the back of the room. The...thing moved forwards slowly, stopping while still half shrouded in darkness. I could, however, see his face. Two things struck me then.

The first was that, from behind his crazed smile, two long canines extended well beyond what would be considered a normal length. If I didn't know better, I would have said they were fangs. But that was probably my overactive imagination – the guy was trying to scare us by wearing some cheap toys, I figured. Although those teeth looked very, very real.

The second thing was his eyes – apart from the fact that the look they held was slightly..._off, _they were also a colour I had never seen before. Not exactly dark brown, they were darker...deeper than that. Then, with a jolt of unexplainable horror, it came to me. His eyes were red...

Blood red.

* * *

**A/N**: Cliffhanger! I know, that's bad, but I love them...don't know why. I bet you guys can guess who's going to come in and save our two heroines - look forward to the next chapter! I would LOVE it if you review!

Very, very heartfelt thanks to _MyBelovedLucifer, RenewedBlade, XLov3D, xXKaira-himeXx, my Little Dreamer, Midnightxwolfx, fan-of-fantasy forever, and Dawn. Fire. Angel! _[sorry, Dawn. Fire. Angel, somehow part of your pen name disappears if I don't put the spaces after the fullstops. Sorry again.]


	3. Evasions

Hey everyone! I'm really so, so sorry that I took so long to update - a friggin' _three weeks!_ I'm really disgusted at myself. I suppose I could say it's because of the tests and assignments popping up out of the blue and scaring the life out of me, but then everyone gets that kind of thing - you guys as well, and you still took time to read my story and review! Thank you so much, guys! Girls? :D

Well, this chapter here is Akiya being thrown headlong into everything. It's also where Shiki begins to see her as more of a woman, not just a human. It was fun writing this one :D

Yup, I don't own Vampire Knight, Matsuri Hino does. [Whoa there, I almost wrote that the wrong way round.]

It's going to be Easter in a few days! I wonder if I could write a short chapter with chocolate? *bites off santa's chocolate hat* Muahahahaha...

Happy Good Friday everyone! :)

And so without further ado, welcome to...

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction - AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu ©_forever - a i n e_

**Chapter Three: **

**_...Evasions..._  
**

* * *

Memories flashed through my mind. I was five, and I was pulling my mother's arm. _Mom..._

"_Akiya, stay away from them, do you understand? Those people you see – the ones with the scary looking red eyes? Stay away from them!"_

An unfamiliar tingling ran up my arms. My mouth was dry, and I couldn't swallow. I wanted to run, or scream, _anything_, but I couldn't move. Why was I so scared, anyway?

"Mi-tsuko…" I whispered hoarsely, moving my eyes to her. She was standing a few feet away, her fists clenched, a mixture of anger, defiance and fear in her eyes. "Mitsuko, that thing…" She didn't notice my state.

It advanced slowly, eyes darting from Mitsuko to me, never resting, and glinting with a demented cheer. Its crimson orbs paralysed me with fear, but also sparked faint memories in me that either made no sense or were just barely out of reach.

_Tap, tap, tap._ The pouring rain outside made a noisy chorus, but his footsteps echoed loudly in the room. I swallowed.

"Who the hell-" Mitsuko began, talking an involuntary step back as the thing's slow approach never faltered, "are-" I thought my eyes failed me.

It _disappeared_.

A blur of dark colour, a narrowing flash of red, and suddenly he was in front of Mitsuko. His forearm flashed forwards swiftly. Too fast, faster than should be humanly possible. Mitsuko flew sideways, slamming brutally against the wall. Six feet away.

Like the blow had been directed to the back of her neck, she slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Shock struggled to register in my mind, while the three of us stayed frozen in our spots. I could hear my blood pounding in my ears – could feel my fingers shaking. Without straightening, it turned to me, and its fangs were revealed in grotesque detail as it grinned. I understood. Mitsuko was down…

I was next.

"What…are you?" I managed to force out, my gaze flickering to Mitsuko, unable to believe what had just happened. This couldn't be happening. I had to be dreaming – a dream! It _had_ to be a dream!

I pinched my arm as hard as I could. Wake up, Akiya! Wake up! _Wake up! _Please…

Wake…up…

I forced the hysterical, terrified sobs back down my throat. Not now. This wasn't the time for breaking down.

I wasn't sleeping.

It took a step forward. I retreated a step. _"What am I? Does it even matter?"_ It took another step forwards, seeming to take a kind of sadistic pleasure in my fear. I took a backwards step. My breathing was erratic, and I felt the consuming fear that only prey could feel. I could run, but if I ran...

It chuckled softly then, as it advanced one more step. _"…But why not? After all…"_ I stepped back – and stiffened as my foot made contact with stone. A coldness touched my heart as it touched the back of my leg, like the deadly chill of an unsheathed blade. My back was against the wall. I was cornered. _"…it's not as if you're going to tell anyone."_

I raised my eyes slowly to meet his. "_I am a…" a_nd he lunged.

The back of my head collided violently against the wall behind me with a loud thud, but I barely noticed it, _its_ words playing and replaying repeatedly in my mind.

_Vampire._

I was pinned against the wall by hands containing a strength I didn't bother struggling against. My brain had had it – what was happening was impossible. And if it was impossible, then, despite whatever logical evidence I was seeing, I had to be hallucinating. Or mentally ill.

I could feel its hot breath against the skin of my neck, smell the nauseating sourness.

And if this was just a hallucination, there was no need to panic. I would wake up.

Two sharp edges – canines, I guessed – traced my neck as it widened its jaws. I shuddered in voluntarily. _"So…sweet…" _I clenched my eyes tightly shut.

Its fangs pierced my skin, driving deep into my flesh. I gasped at the stab of pain, pushing mindlessly at the body before me. It didnt move. The pain eased gradually, stopping at a dull throb.

I could _feel_ it drinking my blood, sucking my life out. Blood trickled down my front and I shuddered.

With every swallow he made my legs grew weaker. The…vampire…slammed his arm around my lower chest, preventing me from escaping his fangs as I slid slowly downwards. My vision began to blur, and suddenly all I could hear were the noises it made as it fed. My legs gave way under me.

Then all feeling started to leave my body. _Come on, _I thought to myself. _Fight. _

Mustering my strength, I tried a kick. It bounced off his leg like I was made of cotton. If it wasn't busy sucking my blood the vampire would probably be laughing his head off. I thought I felt his chest shake with suppressed amusement, even then.

Then faintly, I thought I heard a muttered curse.

It happened so abruptly, it was over before I even realised what happened.

My assailant was flung off me, much like the way it had attacked Mitsuko. With no strength left to hold myself up, I crumpled to the ground, back against the wall. My head hurt.

A person in a white uniform materialised before me, his hand seemingly placed in front of his mouth. He looked familiar, though why I should know anyone who sucked his thumb was beyond me. Then I saw his auburn hair, and it clicked.

_Him._

The – _It_ hissed furiously, turning to the Night Class guy as it pushed itself upwards to a sitting position on the floor. Crimson eyes, now glowing with deadly intent, focused on my saviour. He didn't even flinch. Instead, he drew his hand back from his mouth in a swift motion, a trail of blood flowed from a small nick his forefinger. He hadn't been sucking his thumb – he had _bitten_ his index finger? My incredulity turned to disbelief as the line of blood lengthened, stretched...and solidified.

Maybe it didn't exactly turn to a solid, but it didn't lose its form like a liquid would. Twisting in the air like a bizarre whip made of blood, it utterly defied the pull of gravity.

Take _that,_ Newton.

I watched in blank shock as the now whip-like thing emerging from his finger shot towards the vampire on the ground, hissing through the air at an unbelievable speed. Yup, considering what I was seeing, I decided at the very least I could accept _it_ being a vampire.

The – I shuddered – vampire threw himself sideways, rolling away just as the whip smashed into the ground he vacated barely in time. The ground exploded, sending chips of shattered rock flying in the air. Some of the debris flew a few feet away from me, but courtesy of the guy's body, none actually hit me.

The salty, metallic scent of blood filled the air. It was thick, and slightly nauseating. I stared at the small chunks of rock skittering to a stop beside me. Well, that proved it.

I had gone insane.

That wasn't a comfortable thought to bring with me as darkness began to shroud the edges of my vision. Breathing with difficulty, I had barely enough strength to lift my arm. I sat there, limp against the wall, watching the impossible play out before me.

The vampire rolled to a stop, looked up –and the whip shot straight between his eyes. I saw his muscles tense desperately as he tried to react in time, but it was too late. My vision began to blur. Among the ash remains the vampire had become, I saw the pair of legs in white uniform turn around, then bend as he knelt. Disregarding the words themselves, his voice was beautiful.

"Are you okay?"

My eyes travelled from the impeccable white of his uniform up to his face, and while countless questions clamoured in my mind, I decided to ask the one which had been bothering me insistently for the entire day.

"...Who..._are _you?"

Cold blue eyes regarded me, slicing through my rapidly darkening vision like knives. As my eyes closed and darkness took me thankfully, blissfully away, a low voice sounded in my mind.

"Shiki. Senri...Shiki."

Then all consciousness left me, and I plummeted into the void.

* * *

_I was dreaming now, and I knew it for sure because what I was dreaming _definitely_ couldn't happen. The world was spinning, twisting, distorting itself into impossible shapes. The trees were crooked and grew at odd angles, and the birds flew from the sky to the ground, collided fiercely on the pavement and flew away. _

_The scenery changed every so often, but in swirls that didn't make sense. Over and over again, the vampire appeared in some dark corner, only to disappear before I could take a good look at him. Darkness blanketed my world, and suddenly I was standing alone. _

_The terrifying, dead crimson eyes were enlarged to twice my size, multiplied and positioned around me. They just stared, but it was enough. I ran, but there was nowhere to run to. _

_When the crimson eyes turned to a light blue, I jolted awake. _

"-at happened, Shiki?" My eyes sprang open and I blinked, uncomfortable with the light searing my eyes. I tensed at the words, stilling the impulse to sit up. The first thing I noticed was the almost painfully clean smell. I was in an infirmary, then.

The second thing I noticed was the five Night Class students to the left of my bed, looking more irritated than I had ever seen them before. Though that wasn't much, seeing as I had seen most of them only once.

The honey blonde guy – Kain Akatsuki, I put a name to him quite proudly - stood beside the female I had previously thought had greyish hair. It turned out that I had seen it at a crazy angle, for here, plain to see, she stood with a head of curiously tinged brown hair. Or was it blonde – with, unbelievably, a hint of pink? I decided to stay with dirty blonde, that being the closest I could come up with.

A blonde girl with her hair tied in two ponytails sat on the absolute edge of my bed, watching the other four impassively.

"There was some difficulty." Even from the back, I could tell it was him – his hair was unmistakable. As was that unique enunciation of words.

Though he hadn't yet noticed I was awake, Aidou was facing me, so when he spoke I could see his striking blue eyes narrow. "Was it another Level E?"

Shiki nodded. "Yeah."

I didn't understand what they were talking about – Level E? – but as they spoke a few things happened simultaneously. The blonde haired girl realised I had woken up. The crimson eyes in my dream flared in my memory, along with a series of scenes that flashed behind my eyes. _…its hot breath against my…pierced my neck…a muttered curse…chips of shattered rock…_blood.

I sat up abruptly, five pairs of eyes darted to me – and the door at the end of the room swung open. Then, so in tandem with each other that it was almost comical, they turned back to the open door.

"Kaname." A few of them muttered, moving out of his way respectfully. _…a trail of blood…whip…solidified…exploded…ashes…_ "So many of you came…" Kaname smiled, then turned his attention to me. "Kaneshi Akiya-san. How do you feel?"

I raised a hand to the side of my neck, flinching when I felt the two small, but deep punctures. They were spaced about six centimetres apart.

Bite marks.

"A bit…not much strength." I muttered, searching his obsidian eyes, confused. Afraid. "Who are you? What happened to me?" I paused to gather my thoughts. "How long?"

Kaname walked forwards, stopping at the edge of the bed. The others were silent, just watching. "A few hours. As for what happened, you know, don't you?"

There was a short pause. "The…" _…he lunged…_ "…vampire?" I felt a cold thrill as I said the word. The following silence was contemplative, calculating. "How long have you known?" He asked softly. I frowned. "Since the time it _attacked_ me."

"Not before, then?"

I shook my head, confused. Biting my lip, I looked him straight in the eye, trying to ignore the uneasiness as I did so. Kaname radiated power, self-assurance, and yet – kindness. He made me nervous. "What was it? Was it really…" I found that this time the word stuck in my throat.

"A vampire?" His voice held no emotion. "Yes, it was." There wasn't a hint of a smile on his face. He was deadly serious. But it was impossible – utterly impossible! How could it be? Vampires? There was no way…

The atmosphere of the room was gradually becoming more tense. The five Night Class students weren't just looking, now they were watching. I sought Shiki.

"Then," my eyes flickered from Shiki to Kaname, I spoke hesitantly, disbelievingly. "Are you – all of you v– " I opened my mouth, then closed it. I tried again. "V-vam-vampires?"

I thought I saw an amused smirk twitch on Aidou's face.

Kaname studied me, trying to decipher something in my expression. Apparently, he didn't find it, for his eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned forward, speaking softly.

"Either you are a very, very good actress…or you have no idea what's going on." His eyes turned distant. "The question is, should I take the chance?" At his words, my blood froze inexplicably in my veins. He spared me a last glance, before continuing as if nothing had been said. "It was nice meeting you. I hope you get well soon, Kaneshi Akiya." With that, he turned and left the room, pausing briefly beside the other Night Class students. "It's quite late. All of you should get some sleep. And Shiki, could you come with me for a moment? I need to have a word with you." Amidst a few curious glances, Shiki nodded and followed Kaname out.

The blonde girl watched him leave, her gaze concerned.

As the rest turned and began to leave, Aidou glared at me from the door. "Stop harassing her, Hanabusa." Akatsuki spared a brief sentence as he exited the room. Turning dismissively, Aidou left as well. The door shut behind him, leaving me alone in the room.

I closed my eyes, clutching my head. I was too confused – I couldn't think of anything coherent. Was this some kind of trick? What, trick the new girl and bring it up to humiliate her for the rest of her life? Or some weird – _very_ weird – entrance ceremony or something?

But that didn't make sense. No one had known that Mitsuko and I had planned to skip – Mitsuko! I had no idea how she was! The memory of her slamming against the wall, crumpling to the floor flashed in my mind. Horrified, and ashamed that I took so long to remember about her, I threw off the covers and leaped off the bed, stumbling slightly as I did so. I guess I wasn't fully recovered yet. My hand traced the bite marks on my neck absently.

As I opened the door, I glanced down both sides of the corridor. There were about five rooms on this level, and I decided to try the door to my right, the first room of the level. I walked as quietly as possible, uncomfortably aware that some of the Night Class students might still be around. It wasn't that I believed they were vampires, yet…they were _something._ As I walked towards the room, I glanced out the window. It was late afternoon, where the sun was just beginning to set. There was still plenty of sunlight, though. I thought vampires burned in the sunlight?

I suppose it was because my attention was focused on the window, that I was able to hear the faint words. "…ou think, Shiki?" I frowned, and paused at my position beside the window. That sounded like…

"I don't know. There's only one thing – when she saw the Level E, she called it a 'thing'. It was before it revealed itself." There was a short silence.

"I see." Although the words drifting upwards were extremely soft, I was sure of it now – it was Kaname.

A 'thing'…that couldn't be me, right? I vaguely remembered calling the vampire that – but I had no idea what a Level E even was.

"Shiki, I would like it if you could continue keeping a close watch on her. If it's too tiring, I can ask Aidou to take shifts with you."

"No, I'm fine."

"Then I'll have to trouble you. In addition, I want you to gather information on her. Everything there is to know about her, I want you to find it out and tell me. Her family, history, studies, grades. Everything."

"As you wish." Their leaving footsteps sounded, and pressed hard against the cold wall, I had to strain even more to hear the following words.

"The Hunters are planning something…may already be in action. There is no chance that…may work, but I would like to have as little casualties…has come at an interesting time. The question is, will Kaneshi-san be a help, or a hindrance?"

I froze. Shiki's reply was too soft to hear, but that didn't matter so much now. What _did_ matter was that the Night Class had taken an interest in me – for better or worse, I didn't know, though I suspected it was the latter – and I had no idea why. They expected something of me, and I had nothing to offer.

I stood there for a long time, and the sun had already sunk quite a bit lower when I remembered Mitsuko.

When I opened the door, I was relieved to see the apparently sleeping form of Mitsuko – I didn't think I could make it through searching the rest of the rooms. The moment I walked in, her head turned.

"Kaneshi?"

"Hey, Mitsuko. How are you feeling?" I pulled out a chair and sat beside her bed. Her head was wrapped round with bandage, and there were a few small scratches on her face, but apart from that, she looked fine. Her room was exactly identical to mine, right down to the cheerful vase of flowers on the small table beside the bed.

"Okay." She shrugged. "Guess we got caught, huh?" I couldn't help grinning. "Yeah."

"Crap. This is absolutely _crap._" She glared at the ceiling.

"We would have gotten caught anyway," I reminded her. "Well…yeah, I guess…How are you?" She asked half heartedly, knowing that if I had been seriously injured, I wouldn't be there at all. "Fine."

She nodded, then looked me straight in the eye. "Hey Kaneshi, there's something I'm not so sure about. Do you remember the creepy guy in the building? I…" She paused. "I sort of remember being…hit by him. Then I blacked out. If that's the case," she pushed herself up and leaned against the headboard. She looked confused, and almost slightly frightened. "What are we doing here? What happened, anyway? That guy…I swear, Kaneshi, he moved so fast I couldn't _see_ him. And his eyes were weird. Was it just me?"

I shook my head. "No, it's not just you." I bit my lip. The slight pressure was disconcerting, and I released it swiftly. Should I tell her? But what was I going to tell her? _Hey, Mitsuko, the truth is, we were attacked by a vampire. Oh, as for who told me that, it was the Night Class – they're vampires too!_ If I guessed right, Mitsuko would either burst out laughing or tie me up and drag me to the school nurse. Neither was something I particularly fancied. And I didn't even really believe it myself, either.

And yet, it would help if I told her, wouldn't it? I mean, didn't all problems seem easier to solve once you talk it out with someone?

"Hey, Kaneshi, were you listening?"

"Yeah, I was." I took a deep breath, and saw a slight nervousness in her eyes. "Well, uh, the truth is, according to the Night Class, we were attacked by a va-" I was cut off by the sound of the door opening. We both turned, and a small corner of my mind snickered at the absurd déjà vu-ish feeling I was getting.

"Senri-san?" I blurted, surprised. His expression didn't change – he still looked kind of bored. _Senri. Senri Shiki…_ His words echoed in my mind, and for some reason, I began to feel extremely embarrassed.

"Ah. So you're here, Kaneshi-san." He walked towards us, the door shutting behind him. "Call me Shiki."

I glanced at Mitsuko, who was looking thoroughly confused, and decided to use this opportunity. "He saved us." I muttered to her. Shiki raised an eyebrow and inclined his head in greeting. "Fukuoka-san."

She nodded in reply, then a horrified look crossed her face and she closed her eyes, shaking her head.

I stifled a grin at her reaction. Was she thinking something along the lines of 'Oh God, not a Night Class guy!'? "Kaneshi-san, are you feeling better?"

Oh, right, what was he doing here?

"Yes." I allowed a trailing note of curiosity in my voice.

"Then, if you would like to return to your dorm, can I walk you back?" I searched his eyes, waiting for him to burst out laughing, and come out with, as unlikely as it seemed, a 'shucks, you fell for it!'

As you might have guessed, he didn't, and I didn't find anything in his guarded orbs. They were carefully blank, though his body language all but spelled out _bored._ I glanced behind me. "Mitsuko…?" I wasn't so sure myself whether it was a plea for help or a request for permission – a word of reassurance that she was fine.

Her head still bowed, and her eyes still closed, she waved her hand at me. "Go."

Right, apparently she was going to have to take some time to digest this. "Okay." I answered hesitantly, getting up from my seat. What was it he wanted to say to me that he would have bothered to search for me?

It was after I said goodbye to Mitsuko and closed the door behind me when the thought struck me. Assuming what they said about them being vampires was true, then…I looked out the window at the end of the corridor. The sky was rapidly darkening. I looked at Shiki.

As if he had sensed my thoughts, he turned around. "Don't worry, I won't eat you." There wasn't the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

If you say so.

There was an awkward silence as we walked down the steps, exiting the building. Each time I glanced at him, he was staring straight ahead, apparently oblivious to my presence. It seemed he had made his request literally - he was going to walk me back, and walk only. We strolled down the flower decorated path back to the dorms. The silence grew unbearable, almost tangible with its intensity.

Finally, he spoke. "Kaneshi-san, why did you come to Cross Academy?" It was then, that I suddenly remembered something. Something Kaname had said only about an hour ago.

'_I want you to gather information on her. Everything there is to know about her, I want you to find it out and tell me. Her family, history, studies, grades. Everything.'_

Was that what he was trying to do? I frowned.

Well, two can play at this game.

"Didn't you ask that already? I came here to study. Why did you come here?" I watched with interest as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Study. Same as you."

"Hmm...at night?" I tried not to let my nervousness show as I spoke.

He glanced at me. "Of _course_ at night."

"So you...that's the reason why you seem so testy in the day?" I skirted the subject.

"Testy?" he raised an eyebrow. "How unflattering." I could have been imagining the minute humour in his voice, but at least he was no longer deadpanning.

"Uh..." I looked upwards, at the sky. It was quite dark now, but still. "How come you're not exploding into flames?" He stared at me, then his gaze flickered to the sky and back again. A mixture of sceptical disbelief and slight amusement was discernable in his eyes. I tried to look away.

I was absolutely unsuccessful.

"We don't." The dorm was visible now, and I wished we weren't walking quite so fast.

"Not at all?"

"Nope." Hands in his pockets, he looked straight ahead as he replied. I studied him as discreetly as I could. Pale skin, check. Inhuman abilities...check? Affinity to the night, check. What was left was...

We were outside the dorm now, and I could tell he was frustrated with the little information he had managed to get out of me. Too bad for you, hombre.

It seemed they wanted _something_ out of me, and though I had no idea what it was, I might as well take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about them. The Night Class intrigued me.

It would only be later that I would find out how much trouble, pain, and grief that innocent curiosity would bring.

We stopped outside the door. Luckily, there was no one about – everyone had most likely returned to their rooms already. "Shiki...are you really...?"

"A vampire?" He spoke emotionlessly.

"Y-yeah."

"There's only one thing left, isn't there? The one thing you haven't confirmed yet." The slight widening of my eyes betrayed me – I had no idea I was so obvious. "Go ahead." His eyes captured me, mesmerized me. "I allow you to."

Hesitantly, slowly, I raised my hand to his face. His lips. He opened his mouth slightly, and I traced his lips without touching them. His mouth widened in a kind of grimace, and I touched it without meaning to. My breath caught. They were truly there.

Fangs.

They weren't cheap goods made to scare people on Halloween. They were real. I raised my gaze to his, to find his eyes fixed on me. All the while, he had been watching me, waiting for my reaction.

Vampires were creatures told to frighten children. They were monsters in stories who killed, drank blood, and were the object of horror in many a story.

Standing before me was a vampire, and as I stared at him, stories rose to my mind. Murder, wanton killings, and – yes – Dracula. A grinning maniac wearing a black cloak, with slits in his head that were eyes, and hair pulled tightly back. Dracula's grotesque smile was wide, revealing two elongated fangs.

I wasn't sure whether the rising feeling in my chest was a laugh or a sob.

Then I realised the tip of my finger was still placed on the abnormally sharp canine, and I dropped the offending hand quickly. His mouth shut immediately, and he continued to wait.

"You're a vampire." I whispered.

Brilliant. Brightest statement of the month, idiot. Especially after he just told you.

He stayed silent for a few moments. "Didn't you ask that already?" His repetition of my words failed to lift the atmosphere. He met my gaze squarely, allowing me to see the seriousness of his expression. "Yes, I am."

"Then the students of this school – are all of you here to – " My words died in my throat. I was unable to voice out the terrible thought.

"No. We don't drink blood." When I blinked, he clarified reluctantly. "At least, we try not to."

"Then what do you eat?" I winced slightly at the relief in my voice.

"We drink blood tablets." I saw him glance behind me, checking for students nearby who could overhear us. Instinctively, I turned around as well. There wasn't anyone in sight.

"Why?" I spoke softly.

He shrugged. "It's complicated." Glancing at the sky, apparently uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going – he was supposed to be interrogating me, not the other way around – he continued swiftly. "It's late. You should be getting back to your dorm."

"Right." Before I turned to leave, I remembered a question. "Shiki – can I tell anyone else?"

His expression didn't change, but I could feel the atmosphere tense abruptly. "No."

"Okay." His light blue eyes seemed darken, though that might have been a trick of the diminishing light. "Well – bye." I walked up the steps to the door of the dorm, uncomfortable with the feeling of his eyes on my back. When I pushed open the door, he spoke suddenly.

"See you tomorrow, Kaneshi-san."

I stared at him. What?

He smiled slightly at my surprise, his expression full of dark humour. "This conversation isn't over." He continued lazily. "Your evasion is only going to save you today."

"What?" I couldn't have been _that_ obvious. He was that perceptive?

He tapped his nose lightly. "I smelled you. Behind the infirmary window. Your scent is quite...unique." I froze, my hand still on the doorknob. He knew that I was aware of what he was trying to do. Damn vampires and their sense of smell...

Wait. He had a superior sense of smell, so didn't that mean that his other four senses were as sensitive? Like hearing, for example.

He had heard my heart speed up? Had he been aware of my emotions all the while?

Feeling extremely exposed, I was dismayed at the heat rising in my cheeks.

"See ya." He turned with a wave.

I could have sworn he was smirking as he left.

* * *

**A/N:** I guess you guys can tell that the pairing is going to emerge slowly. I'm trying my best to insert a bit of fluff here and there, but Shiki is adamantly refusing. :D But even though this chapter may not have had much fluff, it's actually where Shiki's feelings start to develop ;)

Please review - I really do read them, and love them [reviews and reviewers] to bits!

Loads and loads of love to vampireluver1613, lovelyvampire93, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, xXKaira-himeXx, Midnightxwolfx, fan-of-fantasy forever, MyBelovedLucifer, RenewedBlade, Starlite-Angel24, SKArainbow, xXAznKittieLuvsTurtlesXx, and xXxAiriinxXx! Thank you so much! You guys really, really made my day – thank you! =^^=


	4. The Not Quite Midnight Visitor

Hi everyone! :) This here chapter's quite a bit shorter than normal, mainly because the idea for it just kind of popped up and refused to go away till I got it down. I suppose, for Shiki, it could be considered a fluff chapter. :D Not major fluff though. *sighs* You could call it my meaningless crapping?

By the way, as I wrote, I began noticing some similarities to Twilight. I hope that this won't be seen as a copy of Twilight - I love the book, but Kuraderu is my own. Though it's slightly difficult to avoid any parallels. Both are vampire romance stories, after all.

I tried my best on this, hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction - AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu ©_forever - a i n e_

**Chapter Four: **

_...The Not Quite Midnight Visitor..._

* * *

The sound of the door shutting behind me was much more ominous than it should have been. His words still rang in my ears – _"See you tomorrow, Kaneshi-san." _I rubbed my heated cheeks with the back of my hand.

Had he just offered to walk me to school?

Bouncing down on my bed, I tried to sort out the confusing jumble of emotions. There was elation there, definitely. Receiving an offer like that from _the_ Shiki, who wouldn't be?

There was disappointment, too. I knew why he was doing it, and it definitely wasn't because he had fallen in love with me. A small smile tugged at my lips then. It was kind of funny, actually. Senri Shiki falling in love with me.

The overriding emotion, however, was nervousness. As I got up and entered the bathroom, questions clamoured for attention in my mind till I could feel a major migraine coming. What was he going to ask? Why was he asking? What was I going to do?

Sighing, I turned the head of the tap, shivering slightly as the initial blast of cold water hit me. While the water heated up, I closed my eyes and went through what I knew.

The Night Class were vampires. That was a fact. They suspected I had something, and they wanted it. The only problem was that I didn't know what that was. And Shiki was apparently going to be the interrogator, whether I liked it or not.

I definitely liked it.

However, the sooner he knew everything about me, the sooner he would leave. I guess that meant I was going to make his job as difficult for him as possible. Squeezing some shampoo onto my hands, I massaged it into my hair as my mind skipped on to problems – and there were many.

Being chummy with vampires, for one, was definitely a bad decision. They were vampires, for goodness' sake! Yes, they were unforgivably _hot _vampires, but they still ate us. Humans. I was high on the menu.

But then he did say that they didn't drink human blood. Hmm. Fine. I moved quickly on to the next one – overly contemplating that particular danger would make me uncomfortable around him, and I didn't want that.

What was I going to tell Mitsuko?

That was hard. I don't like lying, especially to my friends, and not only was Mitsuko a great friend, she was also pretty sharp. She'd smell a lie coming a mile away, before I even said it. I mulled over that as I bathed, but after towelling myself dry and slipping into my pyjamas, I still had not managed to come out with a plausible explanation. Ah well. I'd deal with it tomorrow. Now, I had a something different to deal with.

I couldn't sleep.

The day had been an unbelievably tiring and shocking one, and while the minor loss of blood hadn't been fatal, a constant sense of fatigue had been following me, dulled but insistent. I needed sleep; my body needed sleep. My brain, however, had other ideas.

Shiki's eyes, a cool, almost cold blue that revealed nothing. Shiki's voice, slow and smooth. Shiki's warmth...I punched the pillow. _Enough _about Shiki! _Arghhh! _I kicked at air_, _feeling like a pervert.

An hour later, I was still awake, tossing and turning restlessly in my bed. A strand of hair fell into my eyes. I pushed it away with a nail.

Another hour later, I glared morosely at the ceiling.

I had counted sheep until they had sprouted wings and flew away, when a small sound caught my notice. A small knot of fear wound round my heart. The events of the day hadn't made me very trusting – especially now, in the dead of night. Raising my head ever so slightly, I scanned the window, the apparent origin of the sound.

The dark silhouette of a person was outlined on my window. My heart skipped a beat, and I jolted upright.

It was in a slight crouch, as if it had just landed there from a jump. No way. Could the vampire from the abandoned building have come back? But that was impossible – I had seen Shiki kill it with my own eyes. Or could they regenerate from dust? Could it be one of its friends coming for revenge? My blood froze, and I scrambled backwards in my bed, terrified. He – it didn't seem to have the proportions of a girl – was positioned so that the ray of moonlight shone only on the arm placed on the side of the window. I couldn't see his face.

"Who are you?" I attempted a facade of composure, one that failed terribly due to the hoarseness of my voice.

There was a pause, then he moved. I tensed, expecting him to leap at me with bared fangs.

Instead, to my astonishment, he seated itself comfortably on the window ledge, the movement gracefully executed. A very, _very_ familiar voice replied me. "Your memory is atrocious. Kaneshi-san." As if realising I was unable to see him in the darkness, he leaned forward slightly.

Inhumanly beautiful features were revealed in the moonlight, and my breath caught in my throat. For an entirely different reason, my heart began to beat faster.

"Shiki!" I nearly exclaimed, lowering my voice just in time. It really was him. A mixture of relief washed over me – thank goodness it wasn't a vampire bent on revenge. Then I paused, incredulous and not a little apprehensive. If any of my dorm mates happened for some reason to pop in, they would...I don't know what they would do.

If it got out that a Night Class student was in my room at this time of the night, I would be dead meat tomorrow. I could already see myself being trampled by his hordes of enraged fans.

"Yo." He raised a hand in greeting.

I removed my cold palm from my collarbone, while trying to calm my erratic breathing. To tell the truth, I could hardly breathe – my throat had constricted with fear, all but cutting off my air flow. "What are you _doing_ here!" My eyes had adjusted as best it could, allowing me to make out his features.

The irritating, absolutely infuriating epitome of composure raised an eyebrow at me. "Relax, Kaneshi-san. Breathe."

"Breathe!" I spluttered. _"Get out of my room!"_ I shouted as best I could, in a half whisper and with a constricted throat. It wasn't that I detested his presence – in fact, under different circumstances I suppose I would have been extremely flattered to see him here. However, there was such a thing as a limit. I had reached mine, and his appearance had taken me completely off guard.

I suspected that was the point of it.

He shifted slightly, folding his arms across his chest. "So I assume you have no questions about the Night Class?"

I blinked. Was he offering information? This was very unexpected. Though, I suppose when it came to this guy, all lines of expectations flew out the window.

First he invades my life, now my room. What next – my toilet?

Uh oh. Not a good idea to imagine that.

_Get your head out of the gutter, Akiya!_ I swallowed, determined not to let my embarrassment show. "Um. I do, but – "

" – Then ask." He cut in, suspiciously cooperative. Leaning back against the headboard of my bed, I eyed him warily. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"Well, of course, you answer my questions in turn." He replied matter-of-factly.

Of course.

"Couldn't this have waited till tomorrow? Nighttime is when humans sleep, if you haven't realized." I complained, knowing full well that that on this particular night, with or without Shiki, I wouldn't have slept a wink anyway. The eyebrow rose again. My heartbeats increased in tempo. Don't tell me this guy read minds, as well.

"It _is_ tomorrow, idiot."

Huh? I glanced at the clock beside my bed. It read 2:31 a.m.

Oh. Right. But still… "Guys aren't allowed in the girls' dorm." I folded my arms accusingly, picking something to disagree over. For someone who had scared me half to death, I had no qualms making his life just that little bit more difficult.

"Inside?" He waved his hand casually at the interior of the room. "Do I look like I'm inside?"

Stupid, idiot vampire…

"Okay, fine. You win." I muttered grudgingly. I thought I saw the corner of his lip curl in amusement.

It was a weird decision, though, coming to my room at this time of the night to hold this conversation, when he just as easily could have done it the next day. "What else? There's something you're not saying, isn't there?" He stilled at my words – or as much as humanly, or inhumanly, possible. Seeing as he had already been as motionless as a statue.

Then he sighed. "Yeah." There was a pause. I didn't break it. "Kaname wanted me to check on you." I blinked.

I've got to stop doing that.

"Check on me?" I inquired, surprised.

"Yeah."

"Why would Kuran-san…?"

He stared at the wall. "You aren't the first one to realise what we are. Sometimes, when humans find out, they do…unwise things." I tried to understand his implications.

"Like calling the police?" I guessed. He turned and met my gaze. "Or going into hysteria." His eyes were cold. "A few years ago when a woman found out, she went into shock. She wandered onto a road and got knocked down by a car."

There was a silence as his words sank in. I was horrified.

"Well," I finally ventured, "no worries. No cars in here." Amusement flitted across his eyes, and his expression warmed slightly. A slight breeze blew in from the window, and danced lightly to me. It was laced with hints of Shiki's scent – warm, and just uniquely _him_. The type of scent that you could never get enough of, one that made you feel both safe and comfortable, it was an unutterably heavenly scent. I was having trouble not inhaling it like an addict.

"That's three questions you've asked." The corner of his mouth rose ever so slightly. "Now it's my turn." He paused thoughtfully, and I took the chance. "Those questions don't count!"

"No, they do. Are you a vampire, Kaneshi-san?" My eyebrow twitched.

"If I was, I wouldn't be so scared of them, would I?"

"Probably not. That's another question, by the way." Before I had the chance to splutter incredulously, he continued, "Then what about a Hunter?"

"Huh?" Hunter? I was a student, for goodness' sake. Did I _look _like a hunter?

He studied me for a moment, then went on as if he hadn't posed that strange question. "Who are the members of your family?"

I eyed him sourly. "Kaneshi Tsugumi and Kaneshi Himura, my mom and dad. Kaneshi Seiichi, my brother."

"You have a brother, huh…Younger brother?"

"No, older." I kept my replies as short as possible.

"Oh. What's your favourite subject?"

I had to think a bit on that one. P.E was great, and I had equal interest in both biology and literature. Not a good combination, I know. After all, it's pretty impossible to read Romeo and Juliet while sewing somebody up.

"Favourite subjects?" He offered, seeing my dilemma. I grinned. "Bio and lit. I get to ask two questions."

"_Hai."_ He drew the word out into a long vowel. Hmm, now that I could, I had no idea which question I wanted to ask first. "Why are vampires in Cross Academy?"

"Because of Kaname." It was almost as if barriers had been slammed up – there was much more wariness in his voice.

"Huh?"

He shrugged slightly, the movement smoothly graceful. "Kaname didn't tell us. But he's a pureblood, and he's here – therefore, so are we."

That statement, paired with my curiosity, led to a series of very lengthy explanations concerning vampires and their hierarchy. We talked for a long time, but what I'd basically managed to understand was that vampires were divided into five classes, A to E. Level A consisted of the most important people, purebloods. Kuran-san belonged there. The noble class followed after, and that was apparently where Shiki and the rest of the clique belonged. Below that were normal vampires (Level C), human vampires (Level D), and insane human vampires (Level E). I finally realized what was the 'Level E' Kuran-san and Shiki had been talking about outside the hospital.

"Oh. So if you bit me now, I'd turn into a…Level D?" I speculated.

"No, if I bit you, you would stay human. Not," he added as an afterthought, "that I would bite you." That sparked my interest. "Why not?" I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, actually.

Though the moment the question left my lips, I winced at how much of a moron I sounded. I actually sounded desperate.

"You don't smell appetizing." He replied carelessly. I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment?" I didn't mind asking questions, now that the absurd question game had ended quite some time ago.

He looked away. "You can take it however you want."

I decided to take it as a compliment. After all, it was a good thing if I didn't smell like a gourmet lunch to vampires.

I looked down, a little disappointed.

Okay, so I was trying really hard to convince myself. Sounds pretty sad, I know, because it would mean that I would have vampires hunting me down everyday, but I guess…there was a part of me wished that I was appealing to him in some way, any way at all.

I tried to ignore that part.

"..neshi-san?" I broke out of my reverie, looking up to find his light blue eyes fixed on me. "Sorry." I apologised hastily. "What were you saying?" He studied me for a few moments.

"You don't smell bad, the way…" he searched for an appropriate example, "…the school's canteen food does, on Fridays." I couldn't help it – I laughed, softly. "It does?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "it smells disgusting. You smell unappetizing the way Hunters do. Just not as bad."

"Hunters?" I echoed the word, the second time it had puzzled me today. Instinctively I realized that though the pronunciation of the word was familiar, the meaning it held was completely different. When he didn't volunteer anything, I asked, "what are they?"

He wasn't looking at me again. "Hunters do just that. They hunt. Us."

My chest tightened abruptly. _They hunt us. _That made him – them – sound like animals. "How good are they?"

"Against the noble class…not very." His voice was decidedly casual, but the evasion in his next statement gave him away. "Your scent has something like that taint, but not to that extent. Because of that, most of us don't know what to make of you." His eyes lingered on mine as he said that.

I knew I was blushing.

Deciding to play along, I dropped the previous subject. "It's kind of demoralizing, you know, being talked about like something gone stale."

"Ah, sorry. Anyway," he straightened as he continued, "I think I've deprived you of enough sleep. I didn't think we'd talk for so long."

I glanced at the clock on the dresser. It was three forty a.m..

Wow, it didn't seem like that much time had passed.

I didn't want our conversation to end, but for the past ten minutes, sleep had been tugging at my eyelids. It wouldn't be much of a conversation if I was too fatigued to think properly. I sighed. "Right. Sleep." Then I realized it wouldn't be proper, somehow just wouldn't be right, if I didn't say the words I owed him.

"Thanks…" I paused as I realized I had too much to say, and too little words to put them in. Thank you for saving me earlier today. For coming, even though it was on Kuran Kaname's orders. For talking to me, for not brushing me away. The words sat on the tip of my tongue, yet for some reason I didn't say them.

What came out, was "…thanks for everything, Shiki."

He had risen so that he was in a easy crouch on the edge of the window. "Thanks for talking. Good night, Kaneshi-san." He tensed, but before he could leave, my mouth acted before my brain could stop it.

"Uh – Shiki?" He paused, poised to leave. "Yes?"

"Um, you can call me Akiya." I managed, now blushing furiously.

He smiled slightly, and I couldn't help thinking how unbearably, unfairly handsome he was, silhouetted in the moonlight. Then he leaped off, and I heard him land softly on the ground, three stories down.

In the end, I did manage to fall asleep. Though, if I had any idea what awaited me the next morning, sleep would most certainly have eluded me for the remainder of the night.

When I woke up, it might have been my imagination, but there seemed to linger barely the lightest hint of a warm, heavenly scent. A scent that belonged to one person only.

"_Good night, Akiya."_ His voice lingered like his scent, in my memory.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm supposed to end this with an air of mystery and whatnot, but...

Shiki _did_ go back, when she fell asleep. Unbelievably sweet...though you'll get his thoughts on this, in the next chapter :D Hint, hint. The questions you might be asking - what do the Night Class want with her? What's with her scent? And what's going to happen the next day, when she wakes up?

Something cool, I promise you guys. ;)

I've just realised that there was a filter on anonymous reviews. Wow. Never noticed it. I kicked it out, anyway, because if there's criticism or comments that are to be made, I think everyone should be able to make them. And as for those who are following my story and are too shy to review - I hope you guys love it, too! It's really great for me that there are people reading Kuraderu, so, yeah :D

BIG HUGS TO _Starlit__e-A__ngel24__, __cryst__alfea__thers__, __I'llxBexU__rxEnigm__a2010__, __xXAznKitti__eLu__vsTurtlesXx__, __xXK__aira-h__imeXx__, __fan-of-f__antas__y forever__, __Midnig__htx__wolfx__, __Ma__rie__mar__, __Rene__wedB__lade__ and __Too la__me to b__e Cool__!_ Happy belated birthday to Too lame to be Cool, by the way! :) Thank you guys so much for your support! I won't have time tonight, but I'll reply your reviews ASAP, I promise. 3

sweet dreams,

forever - a i n e


	5. Attack

Aaaand HELLO! Hey guys, I'm really so, so so sorry I haven't updated in so long! No explanations *shakes head* because this behavious is truly unacceptable. (Haha, heard that before?) I know, this authoress here is really incorrigible. I'm really sorry . Thank you guys so much for being unendingly patient and forgiving because, well, you're here, so that proves the point.

I scared myself witless the past week when I caught the flu. For a moment there I thought I had come down with H1N1 (or hini flu, as my physics teacher calls it. Sounds like hiney, which got me laughing like a maniac. Haha, the butt flu! Imagine what the equivalent of a sneeze would be...) Anyway, I don't think I caught it.

Oh yeah, I do not own Vampire Knight.

I'll make sure to update _much_ more regularly from now on...and guys?

Thanks :D

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction – AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu© _forever- a i n e_

**Chapter Five:**

_...Attack..._

* * *

"You're late!" Ujiro growled as I stumbled into the class, still drowsy and feeling out of sorts.

"Hai, sorry, good morning, Ujiro-sensei." I mumbled as I bowed. "Hai, sorry, good morning _Ujiro-sensei?_" He repeated my words mockingly. Wow, he was fuming. "You skip my class yesterday, Kaneshi-san, disappear and cause trouble in the school, and end up in the hospital with your friend, and all you can say is, _hai, sorry, good morning, Ujiro-sensei!" _

He had written this speech up. I could almost swear it.

What did he want me to say? Sensei, I'm so sorry I got assaulted by a vampire and gave you so much trouble!

I mean, I was the injured one here! Even though I was entirely guilty on the tardiness part, but still.

"Get to your seat! I would give you detention today except for the fact, that the _Chairman," _he sneered, "has interceded and asked for me to wait till your friend is better. When she is discharged, the two of you will have a week's worth of detention!" ]

I turned and strode up the steps, biting my lip so that the words on the tip of my tongue couldn't be spoken. I was pretty sure Mitsuko was punished enough for skipping school, considering her rather extensive injuries. I almost couldn't believe he had the gall to sentence her further. Almost.

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts, so out of it from lack of sleep, that I hadn't noticed the strange atmosphere in the class today. The girls were noisier than usual, the guys were moodier than average, and small clicking sounds were echoing in the classroom.

That alone should have warned me, but I was _really _sleepy, so I remained completely clueless until I got to my seat.

There was a head of auburn hair, strikingly out of place in the classroom. Ehhh…

"Ehhh!" I exclaimed, dropping my bag in surprise. It landed with a smug thud on my foot.

"Yo." Sitting in Mitsuko's seat, his head was resting on his palm, and he looked as tired as I felt. Except that he looked much better tired than the wreck I was did. I grabbed my bag off my feet and walked to my seat, abruptly very aware of the numerous eyes boring into my back. I did not want this. Not when I just entered this school.

But when I looked into his eyes, a lighter blue than I remembered, I felt an unexpected surge of warmth in my chest. He looked bored, weary, and more testy than usual, but he was here. And though there was absolutely no reason for me to feel as happy as I did, I was. His being so handsome, though, might have had something to do with it. Eye candy to get me through the day.

My gaze flickered from the open window to him, and it wasn't hard to guess the reason for his apparent bad mood. For him, this must have been the equivalent of going to school at midnight.

"What are you doing here?" I walked up the last few steps and plonked myself down on my seat, staring at him incredulously. Maybe vampires didn't spontaneously combust in the sunlight, but this sort of seemed like he was pushing it.

"Kaname volunteered me for the integration programme."

"Integration programme?" I echoed as I pulled out my math book, never taking my eyes from him, noting that his table was completely empty. "I never heard there was such a thing."

"Move your head, Kaneshi!" A girl – Sakiko, I remembered – hissed from somewhere at the other end of the class. I turned, and promptly bent down, out of range of the hundred or so handphone cameras, the source of the clicking noises.

"There wasn't." He stared at Ujiro, pointedly ignoring the camera flashes. "Kaien Kurosu-san, otherwise known as the idiot chairman, thought it up yesterday."

"Ah." I eyed him suspiciously. It was a bit too coincidental for me to believe – maybe I could accept the programme, after all, the Idiot Chairman did have quite a reputation – but that he, of all people, had been chosen? I moved my seat so that I wasn't slumped over the table like my backbone had turned to jelly, and imitated his bored posture for the fun of it – one hand on the table the other bent at the elbow and supporting my chin.

"So what do you want to ask today?" I waited for his reaction.

He glanced sideways at me. "You're learning."

I shrugged. "Of course."

The question he asked, however, was not exactly what I had prepared myself for. "When's lunch?" He asked, staring at Ujiro, emanating '_what the heck is this…'_ so intensely that eventually even Ujiro avoided looking at him. "Ah – lunch?" I repeated dumbly.

"Yeah, lunch." I must have sounded like an idiot.

"Um, at twelve."

"I see." Was all he said, before proceeding to ignore me for the rest of the day until lunch. The girls on the row before us slumped disappointedly in their seats as they realised Shiki wasn't going to say any more. I didn't know what to feel. Did he just not want to speak to me? Or was it because he didn't want to be overheard?

I had no idea what to say, so I stayed silent.

The silence grew pretty awkward, considering that I was all of a sudden extremely aware of him, noticing his every move, feeling his presence much more than I should. There was movement down the row as notes were passed down. When Shiki handed me the piece of paper, our fingers brushed lightly. I jerked away.

There was a moment of blankness where we stared at each other. "Ah, s-sorry." I stammered. Embarrassment and mortification coloured my cheeks. Why did I have to do that? It was the kind of reaction you'd expect from someone who hated him, and I definitely didn't. But it wasn't exactly possible to tell him that, without the situation getting even more awkward. Was he mad? I swallowed, and waited. For what, I didn't know.

But he didn't say anything, just looked at me with his cold blue eyes, then turned back to Ujiro. The breath I had been holding slowly escaped. I stared at my fingers.

They were tingling.

I couldn't believe I had been so rude as to yank my hand away like that. But when our hands had touched, it had been as if heat had sparked, and I had reacted in shock. Though Shiki had not showed any reaction, so I supposed it was just the surprise that had caused that feeling. Or was it?

Biting my lip, I reached out hesitantly towards his arm. "What are you doing?" Shiki turned, watching my hand. "Don't move." I replied as sternly as I could, which wasn't much. He didn't.

Then I poked him.

"_Nani_?_" _I winced at the audible irritation in his voice. I could feel muscle tensing under my fingers, and there didn't seem to be an inch of fat.

"Um, I was making sure I wouldn't, uh, jerk away like that again." Hmmm. I gazed intently at my finger. No heat, spark, warmth, fire. I looked at him, then decided against poking again to make sure.

Though he was expert at concealing most of his feelings from his features, from what I could tell, he seemed to be vacillating between irritation and amusement. "Idiot." His hand moved to the top of my head, hesitated, then rested lightly on my hair. I stiffened, but there wasn't any strange reaction I could feel, except for the warmth from his hand. I mock-glared at him as he mussed my hair. "Hey, Shiki, stop that!"

"It doesn't matter, your hair doesn't look worse anyway."

"What!" I reached upwards where his hand was messing my hair into disarray, and tried to catch his hand, but he moved swiftly away and I ended up whacking my own head. "Ouch…" I groaned, and glared at him.

My annoyance faltered considerably when he met my eyes, the corner of his mouth upturned slightly in a half smile that made my heart race.

"Pay attention to Ujiro-sensei. If your maths grades drop any lower he'll burst a vessel." I distinctly heard someone in front giggle at that.

I frowned and had to resist the temptation to stick out my tongue at Shiki. Whatever. Not like he was listening anymore, anyway. Then I realized what he had said – _"If your maths grades drop any lower he'll burst a vessel." _This was his first day in class. My class, anyway. I doubted my grades were as horrifyingly bad that my classmates would be discussing it, especially in front of Shiki. After all, I was still pretty much nonexistent to most of them, which was something I didn't mind. I had not expected anything better, anyway, considering my being a transfer student.

So he had been reading up on me? From where? _How? _I didn't know whether to be angry or pleased that he had been looking up on my grades – and most likely much more.

And the classroom wasn't exactly the place where I could ask him those questions. In fact, the classroom was the _worst _place to ask, as it would let the eavesdroppers in a three seat radius around us know that there was something going on between us, even though it was completely the opposite of what they would guess. Unfortunately.

Lunch, then.

But I had forgotten about Shiki's astronomical popularity. The moment the bell rang, a crowd of girls seemed to almost materialize around him. Or rather, they charged at him like bulls then fluttered like butterflies the moment they were within an arm's reach of him.

Feeling the not-so-subtle elbow jabs and nudges, I got the message and walked out of the danger zone. Irritated, and angrier than I would like to admit _(sooomeone's jeaaaloouuus, _a voice in my head sang), I decided to just disappear somewhere.

Apparently Shiki had the same idea, because when the crowd of girls followed him to the canteen, he promptly evaporated.

"Where did he go!"

"Ahhh! Over there! Catch him!"

As the horde of girls ran towards the other side of the building, I walked towards the one – actually, the only – place I could think he was. Then, as the suspense built up, I gave up and ran.

Turning the corner of the building, as my feet stepped on the path, I remembered how yesterday Mitsuko and I had walked down towards the gate just ahead, charged with excitement and the prospect of escaping the confines of the school. This time, though, all my attention was focused on the huge oak tree at the side, looking out of place, the only tree in the area. And yet it also seemed strangely comfortable, fitting somehow, as if it was a piece in a jigsaw puzzle.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw the pair of legs lying out from the shadow of the tree. I walked now, straining my eyes, trying to discern the features of the person. Then I realised the white uniform was a dead giveaway.

"Hey, Shiki!" I called as I ran the last few metres.

"Can you be a little quieter?" Yup, it was him. "If those crazy girls hear you, I'll die." I was glad he apparently didn't group me in as a 'crazy girl'.

I frowned. Maybe I was the stinky blood girl.

I sighed. "Yes, yes." Sitting down beside him, I relished the coolness the shade brought. There was a short silence which I didn't break.

"Not eating?" His eyes were closed, and his hands were pressed between his head and the trunk of the tree.

"Uh, no…" I muttered, wondering if he had heard my stomach growl. There wasn't time yesterday or this morning to make a bento, and I had not stopped by the canteen to grab some food, so it seemed like today I would be going hungry. But food wasn't the issue now.

"Um, Shiki, I'm just curious, but where are you getting all that information from me?" I glanced at him, but his eyes were still closed, and he didn't reply. I mustered my courage and continued. "Because if you were getting it from the chairman, then there shouldn't be any need for you to ask me anything. Or at least, anything related to school. If that's the case you shouldn't be here, in the morning, when…um. Shiki?" His eyes were still shut. He had not even moved an inch.

"Uh, Shiki? You there? Here?" I waved an open palm over his eyes. No reaction.

Wait a minute…There was no way that this guy…

I put my fingers under his nose first to eliminate the first distinctly ridiculous theory. Okay, he was breathing, he wasn't dead.

He was asleep.

"Ahh, I didn't know I was that boring." Smiling self-deprecatorily, I leaned back against the tree and stared at the sky, tracing the wispy white clouds with my eyes. Well, asleep or not, I was content just to be beside him. It was a funny thought, that nearly the entire population of girls in the school was searching for him, and here he was, sitting under a tree, sleeping.

I stifled a laugh with the back of my hand.

And as I turned to glance at him, his eyes shot abruptly open. I jumped, startled. The cold blue orbs scanned the area around us swiftly, and confused, I did the same. I saw nothing. "Wha-"

"Sh." He gave me a swift glance, then stood up slowly. The movement was cautious, but fluidly dangerous. It seemed as if he was but a moment from whipping to action. What on earth was going on?

Two figures flipped over the gate, breaking a few branches and showering us with foliage as they crashed through the tree, landing just before us. My jaw dropped.

_What!_

The one on the left was holding two daggers, and the other one, a blonde, was holding a black nunchaku. I identified it from my brother's collection of weapons. He absolutely loved this kind of stuff, and had dragged me around teaching me about his mountainous stash of sharp and pointy things when I was really young, so I had some basic info on weapons. At least, enough to put a name to them.

Knowing what they were didn't help me at all when two daggers shot towards my head. The nunchaku wielder sprinted towards Shiki.

Paralyzed with shock, unable to move a muscle, I watched my death fly towards me. _Move! _My mind urged me frantically. But I couldn't move. And, as the tip of the daggers was but a few inches from my eyes, I couldn't think.

Someone – Shiki, I saw from my peripheral vision – grabbed me, and wrenched me out of the path of the daggers. They were so close that, as I spun sideways and into his body, blood sprayed from the cut they made beside my left eye.

I staggered as Shiki let go of my hand. Moving so fast he blurred, he rammed his hand into the windpipe of the dagger guy. The blonde man was lying on the floor, clutching his stomach, where blood was oozing out.

The dagger guy was more prepared, and ducked so that Shiki's blow landed on his jaw. He flew backwards and slammed into the gate, causing the metal to rattle loudly.

_Gods…_My mind tried to blank out, but after my near death experience with the crazy vampire, I knew better. I forced myself to think. They had flipped over the gate, _into the tree…_Which meant they had known where we were. Otherwise no sane person would choose to crash through a tree. They were _targeting _us.

We were being assassinated.

My mind _didn't _go blank, but the realization turned me cold.

Shiki strode swiftly towards the dagger guy, then knelt beside him, his hand suddenly encircling the guy's neck. His eyes were terrifying, not because of the emotion they showed, but because of the _lack _of emotion. His gaze was all the more frightening for the fact that they were coldly blanked, the rage simmering behind the mask. I saw his lips move as he whispered into dagger guy's ear, too softly for me to hear.

Dagger guy's eyes flickered to me. His face turned white, then green.

Shiki had left the blonde nunchaku guy on the ground, but he was injured, not unconscious. He was _very_ conscious, from the way his hand crept inside his jacket. Shiki's hand tightened around the dagger guy's neck, and suddenly it became obvious what he was about to do. No. Dagger guy struggled, but in return was slammed against the gate, this time leaving a sizeable dent in the metal. Dagger guy stopped thrashing, his eyes unfocused. _No. _

And suddenly, the blonde guy's arm shot out from his jacket. It was holding a gun.

Time seemed to flow to a stop. The gun was aimed squarely at Shiki. At this close range, it wouldn't miss.

The finger squeezed the trigger.

_NO! _

I leaped forward.

* * *

**A/N: **Cliffhanger!...again. Don't kill me . Haha! This might be a little short compared to the others, but when I got to the end there, I thought. It's perfect. So I left it :D

Oh, and Mr. Blonde-haired-guy-from-the-cafe will be making an appearance! He's not Akatsuki, by the way. I realised it kind of sounded like him when vampireluver1613 commented on it - thanks! I never noticed xD

Next chapter - why are two guys (or more? Hmmm...) trying to kill our hero and heroine (good luck with trying to kill the hero. Muahahaha...) and what's going to happen to Akiya's class now that the boundaries have been broken, and a cute, hot, Night Class guy is inside?

Yup, I guess you've realised this isn't exactly the way the anime will be going, I hope it's okay with you! I definitely won't be changing major things - everything that happened in the anime/manga will occur here, too. It's just that, since Akiya's classmates never really get much attention, I can afford to add in some stuff here. :D Some interesting stuff. Anyway,

HUGS and molten chocolate muffins (they taste really great. Believe me!) to _Too lame to be Cool, xXKaira-himeXx, Midnightxwolfx, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, Mariemar, fan-of-fantasy forever, Starlite-Angel24, crystalfeathers, RenewedBlade, rukia23, jigokunooujo, xXxAiriinxXx, EvilBoyzR2Cute, and Arin-chan! _You guys really, really made me happy! Thank you! Dear readers out there, please review! Give an authoress sustenance to write...xD haha, that sounds serious. well, I'm already so happy that people like Kuraderu!

sweet dreams,

forever - a i n e


	6. HumpireVampunter?

YES! A ONE WEEK UPDATE! Haha, finally got the momentum going. Chapter six, and 58 REVIEWS! Guys, thank you SO MUCH! *tears of happiness*. I love you guys! I was so touched, and so happy! thank you!

I read a comment recently that Kuraderu is similar to Twilight, and the first thing that I thought was 'oh NO! Tell me it isn't so!" Then I reread everything and tried to find the similarities. It wasn't easy (I've read Twilight all of one time) - the only one I found was when Shiki appeared in Akiya's bedroom - so if I ever get too close to rewriting Twilight, please tell me! I'd really appreciate that. I'm also really grateful for the comment in the first place, because without it I'd never have known. Thank you!

Rima appears here. I tried my very best not to make her 1) an evil villian and 2) OOC. Because she definitely is not.

That's up to you to decide (whether or not my portrayal of her passes) - so without further ado...

-ohyeah!IdonotownVampireKnight!-

enter...

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction – AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu© _forever- a i n e_

**Chapter Six:**

_...Humpire…Vampunter?..._

* * *

Blondie must have seen me make my insane decision, but the nerve impulses acted before his brain could, and his trigger finger completed the pull. I found myself face to face with the barrel, still wondering what the heck I was doing. _BANG_

The roar of the gunshot echoed deafeningly. But despite that, in the millisecond before the bullet smashed in the space between my eyes, a different voice cut through the static noise, cut through everything.

"_Akiya!" _A shout, strangled, frantic, and briefly I wondered whether Shiki was faster than a bullet.

He was leaping forward, back to the barrel and eyes on me. It was the first time I had ever seen a vampire move fast. Usually all I caught was a blur.

But the bullet was closer. _MOVE! _My mind screamed again, and this time I obeyed - my muscles tensed to leap away - but it was too late. The bullet touched my skin.

I closed my eyes.

There wasn't even enough time for my life to flash past my eyes.

And the most unexpected thing happened. At the exact moment the touched the area between my brows, I felt it _wobble. _I couldn't see it, but I received the impression that while it was certainly trying to aerate my brain, it couldn't.

I opened my eyes in time to see it fall more heavily than something so small should on my nose, then on the ground, making an unusually loud thump. I touched my forehead, wincing at the feel of my icy cold fingers. There was a small bruise, nothing more.

What?

I reached up and roughly prodded the area where the bullet had hit me. I flinched visibly then – it hurt. The thing may not have blasted a hole in my cranium, but it hurt.

But that was the point. _It had not killed me. _What the heck? I was suddenly, if it was even possible, more frightened than before.

Don't get me wrong, I hadn't suddenly become suicidal. I was exceedingly, immensely glad that I was alive, but what scared me was that, without a doubt, I should be dead. And I wasn't.

Then I winced. _Shiki! _I turned to find him a foot away.

So he had seen the bullet get me before he did, and had stopped with superhuman reflexes. I had no right to feel disappointed, but still did.

Behind him, I could see dagger guy staring at me. Good, he was alive.

Actually I had expected to see Shiki with his hands outstretched, doing a cool bullet-stopping, physics-defying thing, but he was staring at me, as stunned as I was. The funny part was that he managed to look surprised even without staring with bulging eyes, or with a wide open mouth. His mouth was closed, his eyes were barely widened, and yet he exuded shock. I supposed it was a vampire thing.

"…Are you okay?" His composure perfectly collected again, he approached me. "Ah – yeah…" Unnaturally high, my voice broke halfway. I swallowed as he came to a stop before me, his finger landing lightly on the bruise. I winced.

"Sorry." He removed his hand swiftly, giving me a brief scan from head to toe. As if ascertaining I was truly alright. I felt a twinge of pleasure then – and it was utterly asinine, to be so affected by such a normal gesture of concern.

I couldn't resist any longer, and allowed my eyes to dart to the silver bullet lying on the ground. Shiki knelt and picked it up, turning it over in his fingers. His eyes narrowed as he studied the thing, and I waited for an explanation as to why it had bounced off me like rubber.

Then, in a very deliberate motion, he let it drop from his fingers, and looked straight up at Blondie. Blondie and dagger guy hadn't moved yet – the former because he was quite incapacitated, and the latter because he was still staring at me.

That ended abruptly when he caught Shiki's stare. He flinched slightly, and I thought I knew why. The carefully controlled anger in Shiki's eyes hadn't – _wait. _It had to be a trick of the light. Or was it the aftermath of my shock?

Because I had never seen his eyes that particular shade before.

They were darker than usual, but not only that, they seemed to be a different _shade. _Almost purple.

…Almost as if a hint of red had tainted his normally blue eyes.

I took a step back, and this time it wasn't just his muted fury that made me do so.

He must have noticed, but he didn't acknowledge it. Not that I expected him to, but as he walked away from me, he acted as if I was invisible.

A slight chill struck my chest.

"Hunter." Was all he said as he stopped at Blondie's feet. In an instant, Blondie had his gun out and pointed at Shiki's head. My breath caught in my throat.

"This gun has more than one bullet, _vampire_." Blondie snarled in return, struggling to his feet. His face was contorted in pain as he pressed his hand against the wound in his stomach, trying to staunch the flow of blood.

Hunter? That term was vaguely familiar…

Then I remembered – the last time I heard it was when Shiki had paid me a visit at some unholy time of the night. Just yesterday, in fact.

"_Hunters do just that. They hunt. Us." _

I shivered. Knowing that Blondie was a Hunter still didn't explain why I was suddenly bulletproof, though.

"There's no way you'll injure me with that." Shiki spoke evenly, the indifferent note very clearly audible in his voice.

"Yeah? Filthy bloodsucker, want to try –"

"Get your friend and leave."

"What?"

"Are you deaf? I said," Shiki continued as Blondie spluttered, "get your friend, and leave. Join your companions outside. Scram." I watched as Blondie's face reddened steadily. "Unless... you'd like to fight?" Shiki added. He hadn't moved an inch, yet it seemed to me as if he would be more than happy to oblige such a request.

Blondie's trigger-happy finger twitched, but he didn't reply. Then, he walked over to dagger guy, and with a well placed shot blasted open the gate's lock.

Behind the gate were nearly ten other guys, one of whom hoisted dagger guy on his back and proceeded to carry him away. They were not retreating like dogs with their tails between their legs. They were striding away, their hard eyes promising vengeance.

I stared at them, unable to bring myself to feel shock anymore. What I didn't get was why they had not jumped us all at once. _That_ would have changed the odds quite a bit.

"You've calmed down." Shiki approached me cautiously. There was something about that statement which didn't make sense.

I dismissed it. My brain was numb.

"Class is starting." He pushed me gently in the direction of the school. Oh. I had completely forgotten.

Near death experiences tend to do that to me, I wonder why?

I closed my eyes and shut off the sarcasm. "Just now…how come I didn't die?" I asked him as we walked down the path. I glanced warily up at his eyes – they were back to their normal colour. Hmmm.

"A Hunter's weapon can only harm vampires." He replied, staring ahead.

I thought on that for a bit, considering his reaction when I had jumped in front of the bullet. _That_ recollection made me feel more embarrassed than courageous. "So you actually thought I was a vampire?"

"No..." He stopped, and I did, too. He reached out, and I stiffened, wondering what he was about to do. His index finger landed next to my left eye, smudging the blood slightly. "Not all of their weapons are like that. Like the daggers…" There was a slight hissing sound. His voice trailed off as we both stared at his finger.

The hissing came from his finger – more accurately the part of his finger which was in contact with my blood – as what appeared to be a burn materialised on it.

Holy _shit._

Both of us stared at the burn on his finger. Absently, I pressed my thumb against the cut next to my eye – but nothing happened. There was no burn, no hiss, just smudged blood.

I felt strangely nauseous.

I glanced up at Shiki to find that his gaze was trained on something behind me. Turning, I realised that one of the Hunters was still standing behind the gate, which was only a few metres behind us.

He had seen it, too. From the look on his face, there was no doubt.

"What...what does this mean?" I asked, looking back and forth between Shiki and the Hunter – the latter swiftly departed, joining his companions.

My question was cryptic, even to myself. What did it mean, that my blood could do that to vampires? What did it mean, that a Hunter knew it, as well?

"Trouble." Shiki replied, his voice tinged with frustration. "Nothing but trouble." He turned and began to walk swiftly down the path.

I ran, catching up with him. "What happened just now, with my blood?"

"I don't know." I couldn't believe that even _now,_ he still managed to sound apathetic. Then something clicked in my mind. He had said that Hunter weapons injured only vampires. My blood apparently did exactly that.

I was a Hunter?

That was _impossible. _I didn't even know what it was till yesterday! There was absolutely no way I could be a Hunter!

It was only when the auburn haired vampire spoke, that I realised I had spoken the last sentence out aloud.

"Yeah, Hunter blood never has been able to harm vampires."

Oh. Okay.

That meant I was…a freak. I felt distinctly uncomfortable about voicing out that opinion. "So what am I?" I asked in the weak hope that there was another category I had missed out. A Fisher. A Baker. Whatever.

Anything.

But instead of answering, he merely stared ahead silently. It seemed an eternity before he answered, "I don't know."

A sudden fright gripped me. It made me nervous that he could say those three words so many times. In my mind, Shiki knew everything.

When we reached the path joining our two dorms, Shiki abruptly paused, turned, and walked the other way. It might have been me, but he seemed to be in more of a hurry than he usually was. "Where're you going?" I called after him. "Class is going to start!"

He raised his hand in goodbye and replied without turning, "you go. It's bothersome but I need to report to Kaname."

I watched him leave, fighting the urge to run back to my room – it was so close! – and just skip class. The temptation was nearly too much for me to resist, but then I decided I was already in enough trouble.

I ran, sprinting with all my energy, trying to force my fear and confusion out in every desperate push of my feet. What was happening in my life? It was all so confusing – vampires, Hunters, and now this. I didn't know what to think anymore.

What made everything worse were my feelings towards Shiki that, even despite my pathetic attempts to suppress them, were wrecking up my emotional state. I liked him, I was sure of that. And I wasn't sure how much further my feelings would progress – and that was _bad. _He was a vampire, for goodness' sake!

We…had no chance together.

I slid the last metre, nearly running right into the door as I pulled it open. Only to find that the teacher hadn't even entered the class yet.

Even though she wasn't there, I was prepared for the teacher – but I wasn't prepared for the girls that promptly attacked me.

"Kaneshi-san! Why is Shiki-sama so familiar with you! Explain!" Sama? I bit down a smile.

"No, he's not-"

"-Neh, neh, how did you get to know him?"

"Are you two dating?"

"Are you blackmailing him!"

I blinked in horror. I struggled to my seat, trying to get a few of my own words in, but none of them seemed to be listening. They were so close, and there were so many, that I felt suffocated. My fists clenched in exasperation and I wanted, very badly, to push right through and get away.

Then Sakiko clapped her hands together imperiously, the noise cutting through the incessant babble, and the rest of them shut up. They made way for her as she walked through the crowd, stopping right before me. Leaning forward, she spoke softly – for effect, I was certain, because everyone was crowding in to listen – and slowly, as if I was an idiot.

"I only want to know one thing. What relationship do you two have?" My attention wavered to her two small hoop earrings, glinting dangerously.

"Uh." I edged backwards, uncomfortable with her being so close. "Friends. Maybe not even that."

She straightened, smiling with satisfaction just as our homeroom teacher entered the room. "As long as it remains that way." She winked, making her way to her seat with the rest of the girls.

I collapsed on my seat, exhaling.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

After school, I went straight to find Mitsuko. Firstly because I was worried about her, and secondly because if I went back to the dorm, I would get no rest from the endless questions. I always knew Shiki was popular, but never knew it was to that kind of extreme degree.

I was literally in danger of being jumped on, they were so eager to get answers.

Mitsuko was fine – her injuries were all external, so she would be leaving the hospital in a few days.

"It just sucks, you know…it's just so damn boring in here. All freaking white. White walls, white clothes, white food – let me tell you, if a ghost came in here, I'd never be able to tell the difference. Anything good happened in school?" She added as I laughed.

"Yeah. Shiki's entered our class."

"_What!" _She jolted upright in her bed, staring at me incredulously.

"Yeah. The girls are going ballistic." I grinned. Mitsuko rolled her eyes. "I can imagine."

Then she frowned, leaned back and pursed her lips. "What?" I raised an eyebrow.

"There's something you're not telling me." I bit my lip as she folded her arms. Shiki had said I couldn't tell her anything, but…I couldn't resist.

"Hey, Mitsuko…Do you think vampires exist?" It wasn't like that was telling her anything.

Her eyes widened – then returned to normal so swiftly I wasn't sure whether I had even seen it. Some colour had left her face, though. "No. Of course not!" She laughed.

It sounded forced.

I stared at her, puzzled. "Oh. Okay." Had she guessed?

"You've been watching too many horror movies, Kaneshi." She shook her head. "Right, out you go. I don't want to hear anything to do with homework or the lot…let me enjoy this heavenly teacherless, homeworkless utopia."

Her grin was infectious, and I was smiling as I stood, hearing the sarcasm in her voice. Besides, she knew I'd visit her later, and we'd eat dinner together. Life was just a little weird without Mitsuko's dry humour around.

"Oh yeah," I paused at the door. "Ujiro-sensei's dishing out detention for the two of us when you get out of here." Then I quickly made my escape.

Her yell reached me through the nearly closed door. "I didn't need to know that, Kaneshi!"

I was still chuckling as I exited the infirmary and made my way, very slowly, back to the dorm. Trying to prolong the moment, I walked the long way, a circuitous route that brought me quite some distance behind the back of the infirmary.

Staring moodily at the ground, I kicked a few stones out of the way, dragging my feet in the dirt. It was this damn academy. Everything turned upside down the moment I entered it. My life was always normal before –

"_Akiya, stay away from them, do you understand? Those people you see – the ones with the scary looking red eyes? Stay away from them!"_

My heart skipped a beat. Closing my eyes, I shook my head roughly. That was probably a distorted memory. Something screwed up over time.

After all, it was only now my blood started burning people. Like it was bloody hot oil. I smiled wryly at the irony of the vulgarity.

But it was also only now, a little voice in my mind reminded me, that I had met vampires.

I sighed, then tensed with a sudden feel of danger. Vampires – and other beings – had been popping up in my life at the most unexpected of times, in the most surprising places. I looked up warily, deciding never to be caught off guard again.

And blue eyes met mine.

It wasn't Shiki, though – though the colour of her eyes were eerily alike to his. It was obvious, both from her uniform and my memory, that she was from the Night Class. She was stunningly beautiful, with strawberry blonde hair that was gathered in two ponytails with grey ribbons, each at the side of her head. Her petite, slender model's physique was the kind that every girl hungered after.

I felt inadequate just standing before her.

"Are you Kaneshi Akiya?" She asked as she walked forward – I didn't bother wondering how she had appeared out of nowhere. Interestingly enough, her voice also contained the same apathetic note that Shiki's did.

"Uh –" I paused momentarily to untangle my tongue, "…yeah."

When she stopped before me, I noticed that while her eyes were almost the same shade as Shiki's, they were slightly darker, with a pale lavender hue mixed in the blue. Her name…I racked my brain, trying to remember it – but as the pause grew lengthy, she spoke again.

"I'm Rima."

"Oh. Um, nice to meet you, Rima-san." I bowed awkwardly under her unwavering stare. Were all vampires so taciturn?

The image of Aidou Hanabusa rose in my mind. Definitely not.

I remembered the way she and Shiki looked so perfect together, seeming like the perfect couple. The fitting, beautiful picture they made, standing beside each other. It had not mattered then, but now it did…quite a lot more.

I bit my lip hard, trying to divert my thoughts before they sent me plunging into depression. There was no way she had found me just to introduce herself. I wanted to ask her why she had gone to the trouble to find me, but saying something like 'what do you want?' was a bit too…rude.

She saved me the trouble, by getting straight to the point.

"You're the girl Shiki's in charge of." Her voice was flat, there was no question in it. I nodded. "Do you know how much trouble you've caused?"

"You mean…when I played truant?" I frowned. Trouble? Apart from the time I had caused Zero and Yuuki to search for us, it seemed more like trouble was always trying to find _me._

She studied me for a brief moment, "you really don't know?" When I blinked, she continued in the same indifferent tone, her voice lacking both scorn and disgust. "You don't know anything, do you?"

I abruptly got the feeling she was really, really angry. Had I said something wrong? Or was it the trouble I had caused?

"What happened?" I asked, my hand lingering at my collarbone.

"Your blood." She replied shortly. "It's poisoned Shiki."

My hand dropped.

* * *

**ROGUE HUNTER'S MEETING**

"Are you _serious!_ You're telling me that _the_ Kaneshi Seiichi's – let me get this straight, _that_ Seiichi – his sister _helped _the bloodsucker?"

The nervous silence, stretched uncomfortable around the room, was his only answer. The guy ran his hand through his sun-kissed blonde hair in frustration, turned and swore loudly.

"And what the hell were you guys trying to do? Huh! I asked you to test her abilities, not try to kill her! Or anyone around her! Vampire or not, we weren't supposed to begin that for a few months yet!"

The men – many older than him – exchanged glances, but said nothing. "That and what you told me about her blood…" He sighed, his voice rough with exasperation. "Hunter twins truly are a curious lot, aren't they…" He muttered to himself.

A tattooed, muscular guy spoke up then, from his position beside the door. "With her genetic deformation, she can barely even be called a Hunter, dude."

"Shut up, Ren!" He yelled, though in a tone of familiarity, not dominance. "A child of a Hunter is a Hunter."

Then he decided, and spoke with both voice and eyes hardened. "You – Ikito. Call the rest of the Council for a meeting. Now." As the blonde turned and ran, a middle aged man worked up the courage to ask hesitantly, "Um, Leader-sama –"

" – Call me that again and I'll rip your tongue out!"

The older man bowed patronisingly – obviously, he had heard that line a thousand times before. "Leader-san, I'm sorry, it's for your own safety…" At the honey blonde's scoff, the older man continued, "what do you plan to do?"

"That girl's a definite threat, but she's also a possible weapon. If her blood does what Ikito said it did…then it brings up some very interesting possibilities, doesn't it?" He grinned. "Heh. What else do you think we're gonna do? We'll kidnap her."

* * *

**A/N: **Wow. More trouble for Akiya?

I'll try my best to give her a break. I won't let her get whisked away just yet! And maybe I can actually begin to write some (horror of horrors! xD) fluff! When Shiki has finally developed _some _feelings. I suppose this may answer some of your questions, like what on earth she is, and why Kaname's so cautious about her presence in the Day Class...with Yuuki. I'll go more in depth, but that's in later chapters :D

Thank you to my reviewers, who've brought me as far as six chapters! And who've got me raring to type out the next one! _xXxAiriinxXx__, __RenewedBlade__, __fan-of-fantasy forever__, __hellopanda23__, __I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010__, __Midnightxwolfx__, __SKArainbow__, __Starlite-Angel24__, __Haimaru__, __my Little Dreamer__ and __crystalfeathers_ - I love you all!

I know things are going rather slow, and I'm so sorry...thank you for bearing with me :D

sweet dreams!

forever - a i n e


	7. Pieces Of The Puzzle

Hey! Long time no see! :)

This chapter took a long time, yeah? When you read you'll find out why - this one has topped the list. It drove me absolutely _crazy._ But ironically, with exams coming up, writing this was the one thing that kept me sane. Once I started I couldn't stop, so I'm now one chapter ahead :D - Heh. I'm excessively proud of the fact :)

My beloved reader *bows* thank you for following me so far. I really appreciate it, so much.

Some advance warning ;) The writing perspective changes more than usual here. I tried to avoid it, but it was the only way I could write it. I've edited this chapter so many times I think I've been reciting it in my sleep instead of my trigo formulas. :D No kidding. So enough of me here and-

welcome to my world:

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction – AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu© _forever- a i n e_

**Chapter Seven:**

_...__Pieces Of The Puzzle__..._

* * *

"You're joking." Was the first thing that came from my mouth. Shock pounded in my veins as I stared at her, disbelieving.

Rima Touya's cold gaze made me instantly aware of my mistake. "This concerns Shiki." She replied, her narrowed eyes the only sign of her anger. "Do you think I would joke?"

"I'm sorry!" I winced. "I didn't mean it that way – I'm sorry. But my blood? It couldn't…" But a memory flashed in my mind. A drop of my blood burning Shiki's skin as if it was – as if it was poison. My voice trailed off into nothingness.

I swallowed, confused. "Shiki…Is Shiki okay?"

"If he was, I wouldn't be here. Do you have the antidote?"

The antidote to the poison that was my blood…I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Trying to ignore the cold fear in the pit of my stomach. Too many things were going on. Hunters were chasing me, the Night Class was taking an interest in me that didn't bode well. A vampire had attacked me. Hunters had attacked me.

And now, this.

Shiki had to be okay. He had to be. I couldn't believe I had – how could it be? My fault that he was hurt. My fault if – if he…

The coldness somewhere in the middle of me seemed to spread out, like tendrils wrapping around me. If he died.

If he died, who would replace him? Hanabusa Aidou? Kain Akatsuki? Dimly I wondered at the numb uncaring I felt. Would it be like this, forever? A cycle of surprises and horrors and surprises and horrors…For how long?

If he died…there would be no one to talk to me at night. No one to hold me together when I began to fall apart. And the face which rose to my mind every night before I slept would be that of a dead man. Dead vampire. Same difference.

I didn't know I could be so cold. And yet – and yet, why was it I could not stop my hands shaking?

Why was it tears were brimming behind my eyes, almost about to swell and rush forth, but remained stuck inside, so that I could barely breath?

My throat constricted and a slight giddiness came over me. Deep breaths.

I could feel Rima's impatience, and I couldn't blame her. I was impatient with myself, too. A part of me realized what was happening, and I forced myself to focus. It was surprisingly difficult. There was a wind around us, and a haze within me that made the concentration I sought deftly elusive.

"Sorry. I'm thinking." I turned and dug my nails into the back of my hand with an angry force. It left my skin stinging, but the pain helped me clear my mind, and I was left disgusted and horrified with myself at my selfish, almost sacrilegious thoughts.

If I could suppose that an antidote was the opposite of a poison, then if the poison was within me, the antidote would have to be outside me? Three distinctly unpleasant possibilities rose to mind.

I shuddered, horrified. _No. _I would not, would _never, _resort to giving my…liquid…waste... as an antidote. Just thinking about it made me feel nauseous.

All right, then.

I'd try the safest option, and pray it'd work. Otherwise if I had to use…_that, _I doubted my relationship with Shiki would last past the minute it would take him to..._digest..._that information. I exhaled a puff of breath that might have been a laugh or a half sob.

I could feel her eyes on me, burning even more fiercely at what seemed to be provocation. Wincing inwardly, I said, "I'm not sure. But maybe I have it." _Please…_

Rima had already turned around and begun moving before I finished my last sentence.

"Hurry." Was all she said.

"Yeah." I set off at a run behind her as she led the way to the Moon Dorm. She moved swiftly, smoothly, with a restrained tautness that let me know that she was running slower than she normally would have, for my sake. Yet I was sprinting, with an exhilarating speed that set my calf muscles on fire.

As we ran, memories of Shiki rose to my mind. His rare, beautiful crooked smile, his face silhouetted in the moonlight. The way he had protected me each and every time I had been in danger. The way he never scorned or taunted me, but instead gave me compassion and a subtle companionship. I had come to learn more about him, subtle thing, small things, but then small things were the ones that mattered.

He had to be okay. No matter what, things had to turn out okay. They had to.

I shook my head. Without me even knowing, Shiki had suddenly, somehow become my anchor in the midst of the insane chaos. Almost like a premonition, I knew that worse would probably come, and already I could feel myself being sucked in.

He couldn't be hurt. Not because of me.

It seemed an age before the Moon Dorm came into sight. The guard at the gates eyed me suspiciously but let us pass unhindered. Judging by the steely glint in Rima's eyes, that was probably wise.

While I panted Rima strode forwards, not even perspiring. She opened the door and we stepped inside.

In a different situation, the splendor of the dorm would have left me awestruck. It was an ostentatious place, but now I had little time and less patience for something like that.

I was too busy worrying about how I was going to administer the 'antidote' when Rima suddenly stopped. I gripped the railing as I nearly fell backwards in a bid to avoid crashing into her.

"Rima, you actually brought her."

Looking up, I saw Kuran Kaname at the top of the staircase, his gaze resting on us.

"Yes, Kaname-sama."

I had noticed it before, on the first day of school, but now when there were only three of us, his presence and sense of command seemed to be increased tenfold. I noted, though, that the calm confidence he radiated seemed more dangerous than arrogant.

It drew me in and repelled me equally – the knowledge that he could do bid me do anything at all, and I would do it, was frightening.

I had always thought his red tinted brown eyes were unsettling. But now I was devoid of both nervousness and uneasiness at the careful consideration of those same eyes now. I was only impatient, needing to see Shiki, to be with him, now, but the gaze of the dark vampire before me held me with an unspoken command I couldn't deny.

After a moment's survey, Kaname said, "Shiki's room is the second one on the right."

"Thanks." I muttered, then with a quick glance at Rima, I ran up the staircase. She didn't follow for some reason, but I could feel her eyes on my back as I made my way up.

It was kind of a relief, though, that she wasn't coming with me. If she witnessed what I was about to do…antidote or not, she'd likely – _very_ likely- kill me.

Second to the right. My hand rested on the doorknob for a moment, before I gathered my courage, and entered the room hesitantly. .

It was dark – the curtains were drawn – but not oppressively so. There was more than enough light for me to see. Him.

His chest rose and fell slowly as he slept, but as I got closer I could see he was paler than normal – which was really serious, seeing as how pale he usually was. Hesitantly brushing away a few strands of auburn hair, I lightly touched my fingers to his forehead, then flinched at the dry heat. His fever was high.

It was the first time I had seen him so vulnerable. It was something that just should not be, so wrong that it made me sick just to see it. It scared me.

The wild thudding in my chest seemed to be the only audible sound in the room.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, then took a deep breath. I bent over him, gently pulling the blanket away to reveal his right hand, the burn a vivid red on the tip of his finger. I hesitated, my hand hovering just over his.

There was no reason for my heart to try to race itself to a heart attack now, really.

I sucked in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Then I clenched my fist, unclenched it, and took his hand in mine.

I glanced at him, but he didn't even stir.

The burn looked just like an ordinary one. In fact, it seemed so trivial that for a moment I almost convinced myself that Shiki was fine.

But I knew the expression on Rima's face had been genuine, and there was still the fact that my blood _had_ burned Shiki. (The memory still made me shudder involuntarily, not only for the memory itself, but for its implications). And also, he was lying as if comatose on the bed.

I had to do this. Now the only question was, would it work?

* * *

**SENRI SHIKI **

"…Alright, Akiya…come on. You've got poison to neutralize…" The slight whisper of breath on my hand startled me, and in the long moment in took me to realize she had sighed, I struggled to keep up the pretence of sleep.

Why was her mouth near my hand...why was she here?

Not only that, seriously, how had she even entered the Moon Dorm…

Who the hell had taken her in? Irritation flared in me as I registered my bad mood. I didn't care whether or not the person had meant me well – it was dangerous. She was idiotic _and_ naïve, one of the worst combinations I'd seen. With or without her off-putting scent, she'd attract attention and inevitably trouble.

Then I nearly jolted out of my bed as something light brushed across my injured hand.

Hair?

What was she _doing? …_Why was I pretending to be asleep, anyway? This was stupid. Feigning sleep was probably the stupidest thing I'd done this week.

So troublesome…

Did she honestly have the antidote? Kaname had said it wasn't too serious – that I'd live – but also that he had done all he could. I would be in this state for about a week, unless I ate the counterpoison.

Ah, I just wanted to sleep this week off. I was _tired. _Attending Day Class had been more draining than I'd thought.

It didn't help that I could quit being a watchdog – I couldn't leave her alone. That didn't sound quite right, but if there wasn't someone watching over her, she'd really get killed.

Something…air…breathing? Repressing a sigh of my own, I caved in and opened my eyes a fraction for just a moment. What I saw was so unexpected I stared for a bit longer than I had meant to.

Her lips were against my index finger – I felt the warmth – then her mouth opened and I felt her hot breath against my skin.

Don't…move…

Then her _tongue _touched my throbbing wound.

My eyes flew open, my self control crumbling like dust. A strained cry that a I had never made before, that a vampire had probably never made before a human ripped out from my mouth.

Heat seemed to explode from the finger, and I was doubled over before I knew I had sat up. It crashed through me, a bolt of electricity throughout my body that I had never experienced before. My breathing quickened. I was unable to force my body to a relaxed state any longer, and was tense as if I was about to fight. I stared at her incredulously, as I fought to regain control over myself.

She was…_what_ was she…the hell?

She had jumped at my…she had jumped, and as our eyes met she dropped my hand with a swiftness that suggested it had burned her. There was a long silence as I struggled for words, as her face grew steadily more crimson.

"What are you doing?" I hoped she'd take the strain in my voice as an effect of the poison.

"Uh, nothing." She addressed my bed, more embarrassed than I'd ever seen her before. I just looked at her. "…Sort of…" She bit her lip self-consciously. I let the silence stretch, knowing she would feel the impulse to fill it. "Because I thought the antidote would've most likely been opposite of the poison…uh…so I tried…" Her voice trailed off to a mortified nothingness.

I sighed and sat up, my head throbbing. My finger tingled.

"Did the…uh, did it work?" Her gaze flickered up hopefully, but dropped the instant our eyes met.

I wished she didn't act as if I'd bite her the next moment. Did it work?

I frowned. "Don't move," I muttered.

I reached out – she flinched – and traced a finger along her lips, then said, "stick out your tongue." I tried to ignore the warm, suggestive heat that pulsed beneath my touch.

Her brows twitched. She gave me, then my finger a strange look.

"Shiki." I lifted my finger as she spoke, "I think you're more ill than I thought." Impatient to find out whether it had been me or her that had caused the strange reaction, I had completely forgotten to consider what it would have seemed like to her.

"No…" I dropped my hand, slightly embarrassed. "Ah…never mind." I shrugged and decided against trying to explain. It was too troublesome.

Nothing. It was nothing. Something prickled, and I shifted uneasily.

I could feel the dull ache in my entire body, the lack of strength that showed I wasn't healed.

"Anyway, it didn't work."

"…Yeah…" She dropped her head. "Sorry. Will you – will you be alright?"

I leaned back on the headboard of the bed and stared at my hand, replying absently. "I'll live. I'll be fine in a week."

She let out a relieved puff of breath. "Thank god...Shiki, I'm really sorry…"

"It's fine." My self control was good. I knew that. But in my state now…I needed to get her out soon. The off tint that had been entangled in her scent when I first met her had disappeared – like that time the Hunters came. My assumption must have been correct. Her blood lost the hint of _Hunter _when she was excited. And with it gone, her blood smelled…sweet.

The administering of her 'antidote' had affected me more than perhaps even I had known.

My tongue grazed the tip of my fangs almost unconsciously.

…I can't. Not her.

I looked up. Her shoulders were shaking. "Akiya?" I reached out – then pulled back. My throat…burning… Then she looked up and I saw to my horror that she was crying.

_Oh_. No. I can't – I don't – she's _crying…_

"Shiki," she wiped her eyes resolutely, but the tears kept falling, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to – I really didn't mean to-"

"-Yeah. I know. It's fine."

"Shiki…" I wondered why my name sounded almost melodious coming from her lips. "I can't – I need answers – what's happening in my life?" Her voice was pleading as she gripped her skirt tightly, till her knuckles turned white.

Oh.

I should have known. She seemed to have taken all of it so well – unbelievably well; I should have _known – _but I had believed she was fine.

Who could have been fine after going through all of that?

In trying to distance her from my world, I had perhaps hurt her worse than I realized. Conflicting emotions rose within me, and she mistook my silence.

"I know you can't tell me much, , but anything, _anything, _please, Shiki, tell me! I can't stand it. I'm _scared!_ My blood…what's wrong with me?" She lowered her head, but I saw her tears falling in a steady rhythm – tap, tap tap… "Why did the vam-" her voice broke, "-the vampire attack us? And then the Hunters – why? Why is my blood…" As her hands rose to cover her face as she wept uncontrollably, I stilled the urge to take her in my arms.

"I'm sorry." I got off the bed and knelt beside her. She was in the process of brusquely – with what seemed like a hint of disgust – wiping away her tears. Yet they kept falling. She must have been terrified, all this time. Why had I never noticed?

I caught a tear with my forefinger as it fell down her cheeks, relieved when it didn't burn me. She probably wouldn't have been able to take on any more surprises from her body.

For a brief moment, I wondered whether the drop of clear liquid would be able to alleviate the burning in the back of my throat, that I had been trying my best not to think about. Then I decided against it, and sat with my back against the bed, facing her.

"I can't tell you much. But what I can, I will tell you." I paused, then continued, "the Level E attacking you…it happens to normal humans also."

She nodded, and it was with some relief that I saw the tears had stopped flowing.

"As for the Hunters – I don't know. The Chairman has an agreement with them – that we do not drink human blood, and in return the Hunters do not bother us."

"But then – they broke the agreement?"

"No…The Hunter Association wouldn't be that stupid, with Kaname here. It was most likely the rogue Hunters." This much, at least, I could tell her.

Her tearstained face looked all at once miserable, hopeful and confused. She looked as if she needed warmth, and comfort, which was more than I trusted myself to give her. Unsure, I reached behind me, took my pillow, and offered it to her.

She raised her brows.

"If you want it." I muttered. I'd seen little kids hugging their toys for comfort, before, so…She eyed me, then it strangely. She reached out and her small, unsure smile was followed by a pillow muffled, "thanks."

She shouldn't have to go through this mess.

"Uh, what are rogue Hunters?"

"They kill all vampires on sight."

Confusion flitted across her features. "So they're just normal Hunters?"

"No, those from the Hunter Association only kill Level E's. They rarely target the higher castes." Still, it was possible they had come after me.

It seemed to be that way, and yet…I frowned. "Rogue Hunters aim to kill all vampires, though."

Her arms tightened around the pillow. "So why were they after me?"

"…I don't know." She sunk slightly into the pillow, eyes downcast with either relief or disappointment, I couldn't tell.

"They'll come back." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah. That time, they saw it when your blood…touched me." She flinched at that.

"About that…my blood…do you – do you know…?"

There was a pause as for the thousandth time I searched my memory for information about blood that could harm vampires. And for the thousandth time, I found nothing. "I don't know."

I heard her take in a deep breath. _Thumpthumpthumpthump. _Her heart was beating faster. "Has this ever happened before?"

Concentrate. "No." No, not as far as I knew. Not even in the history books. Never.

Again, I felt the strange prickling, the wariness…then it hit me. I was on my feet before I knew it.

"_Hunter." _I snarled as I spun around and strode to the window, trying to ignore the dizziness from my abrupt movement. I was furious with myself. Behind me, Akiya was frozen in shock.

I really might be sicker than I thought. It was rare that I got so emotional.

"Get out." I heard the anger in my voice. Concentrating hard, again I caught the scent that was disgustingly off. I had taken way too long to figure it out. How much had he heard…

"You're sharp." A shadowed figure stepped out on a thick branch, from behind the trunk of the tree.

"No." I kept my voice even, but my hand was already moving to my mouth.

A hand gripped my wrist before I could pierce the skin. Surprised, I turned and met her eyes. Nervousness and apprehension made tumultuous depths in her dark eyes. "Shiki, you're not well. You can't – " She shook her head, and glanced out the window. Then she saw the Hunter and blinked, "You!_" _

His eyes widened and he stared at her, equally, if not more, incredulous. "You're that girl!" He replied, looking stunned.

I glanced between them. "You know each other?"

"No," they replied simultaneously.

I didn't like this.

"Ah." I studied the Hunter. Blonde hair, light brown eyes, a physique and balance to him that suggested he was dangerous. He noticed, of course.

Raising his brows, his hand shifted closer to the sheathed dagger on his thigh.

…Irritating.

"You didn't come here to fight." I looked pointedly at the hand on my wrist, and she coloured as she released me.

"No." His hand stopped. But it didn't move away, either. Then he transferred his gaze to Akiya. "Kaneshi Akiya. Sister of Kaneshi Seiichi. Am I right?"

I felt, more than saw, her tense. "Maybe."

His head tilted and he looked down at her almost contemptuously. "Hey, I'm a Hunter, you know."

She tilted her head to the side, and I realized she was angry. "So what?"

"So _what? _You're a Hunter too, damnit! You're supposed to be jumping in my arms thanking me for saving you! 'Cause that's what I'm here to do!"

"Save m-"

"-Save her from what?" I interjected.

He looked at me as if I was an idiot. My patience slipped a notch. "You? What else? It's not like the furniture is going to leap up and kill her."

"Neither will I."

The Hunter glanced from me and back to her. "So." He said quietly, his tone and manner completely different. …He had been baiting us… "Last chance." He spoke to Akiya. "You're really siding with him?"

She frowned, and shook her head.

My chest constricted.

"I don't get what this is about. Side with him? I'm a Hunter? What the hell are you saying?" She leaned forward on the windowsill and, with a completely serious look on her face, said, "are you insane?"

He rolled his eyes. "_No._" Then he stopped and stared at her disbelievingly. "I'm a Hunter?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you are," she replied with a roll of her eyes as I said, "yes."

Ignoring the slight, he shook his head. "No. What you said just now. You mean you don't know you're a Hunter?"

"But I'm not!"

"Are you kidding me? _Are _you Kaneshi Akiya? Kaneshi Seiichi's sister?" I pushed her behind me as he raised his voice, though he didn't take a step forward.

"Yes!" She strained against my hand, glaring at him, her eyes wide. Behind the disbelief I could see her fear.

"And Kaneshi Akiya-san, are you telling me you don't know?"

"What are you talking about!" She raised her voice to match his.

"Wait. You said she's a Hunter?"

He fixed his incredulous gaze on me. "You don't – My God." His hand grasped the bark with what looked like helplessness. "How can you not-?"

"_What are you talking about?"_ Akiya whispered, her shock perhaps more tangible for the softness of her words.

"What?" The Hunter laughed mirthlessly. "Ask your brother. And your parents. Whatever they were thinking, it's about time you found out." He eyed me then. "About damn time."

"They were right," he murmured as he turned around, "they were damn right. This whole thing is messed up. And-" His last word hung in the air as he leaped down the tree.

There was a sudden silence. A sharp inhalation sounded – Akiya – as she flung herself at the windowsill, glancing down.

The words said under his breath as he dropped to the ground played in my ears. Too stunned to care about whether he had survived the fall – for doubtless he had – , I stood motionless.

_-the Kaneshi twins are freakin' messed up._

Hunter…

…twins?

* * *

**KANESHI AKIYA**

"Sit." I sat. His façade was impeccable once more, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. That was fine with me; the flash of anger that had escaped his control just now, the force of his gaze, was still burned in my mind. Once again, I was reminded that the uncaring façade he usually put up did not reflect his emotions.

"Pillow." He threw me the white huggable thing and sat on the bed, leaning back with his hands placed behind him. This time I resisted the urge to hug it tightly and breathe in deeply his scent, instead I placed it on my knees and rested my elbows on it. "_You're a Hunter too, damn it!" _The words still echoed in my head, and this was not a time to be weak.

Not because I had to be strong – though I _had _to – but because if even a small part of me crumbled now, the unstable foundation that held me would shiver and crash to the ground. I'd be left with just shambles, and I couldn't risk that now.

"Now…talk."

"Well…" I stared at my feet as I traced shapes with my toes. "I sort of know that guy, from when I-"

"-No…that can wait. How are you feeling?" The intensity with which he regarded me was a startling contrast to his laid back posture.

I swallowed. I opened my mouth and tried to reply, but my throat seemed to be stuck, and I ended up making a strained sound. I pressed my nails hard against my leg before the tears came again. Was he actually concerned for me?

Enough. If I cried so much, he'd think I was really losing it.

It didn't matter that I was…kind of…I could still freak out to Mitsuko – oh, crap, wait, I couldn't…

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and waited till I was sure my voice wouldn't betray me before I spoke. "I'm fine." I smiled. "Totally."

He didn't say anything. Didn't tell me I was lying, ask me if I was sure, ask me to explain my connection with the mysterious blonde haired, crazy guy. He merely looked at me with his unsettling light orbs, fathomless and clear in a way that reminded me of a still lake, and that look told me all that I wanted to know.

I didn't feel an urge to cry, but I averted my eyes, strangely mortified, strangely happy.

"You're not fine." He said quietly, and I stiffened in surprise. I opened my mouth to protest, but he caught my quasi-defiant look before I could direct it, and I found I could not speak. "You are not fine…" he reiterated as he stood up and strode the few steps to place him before me. "Go back. Sleep. Get some rest, we'll talk about this tomorrow." As he spoke, he pulled me to my feet and began half leading, half dragging me to the door.

I didn't put up any resistance, strangely because his grasp on my wrist was so carefully, unbelievably gentle.

By the time we had reached the door, though, I had gathered some of my wits, enough to ask the question upon which hung my balance.

"Shiki," I turned as he pulled the door open, "was what he said true? About me being a Hunter?" I waited, eager, terrified, in the agonizing silence as his hand dropped from the doorknob before he answered. "I don't know." His eyes narrowed, and I realized he wasn't exactly happy about his lacking knowledge.

There was no rush of relief or dread, just a tension where the emotions remained where they were, like a dead weight.

"I know too little about you. Even he knew –" he stopped himself in his unique way, neither abrupt nor sudden, but in a way that made you not want to ask after the pause. "But he may be right…"

"He can't be right!" Only now did I realize that I had been waiting desperately for him to say it was all a lie, a scam, not true at all. "Do you know what it means if he's right? My whole life from birth...would be a lie." Only now did I realize it, when my shaking hands rose to grip convulsively at his shirt, for an instant forgetting who he was, _what _he was…

What he could do.

I saw it in the darkness that flooded his clear eyes instantly, in the way he had to force his muscles to relax, the way his slow breathing was not relaxed, but forced and ragged. He struggled – the shutters shivered open and close, and it was in this state that his hands moved almost impulsively with an inhuman speed to press against the door, an arm on either side of my head.

"Do I know?" Even now, his voice was low, and calm. But it was lower than usual, a dangerous tone, which belied his apparent composure. Though low voice or not, the look in his eyes would have been enough.

Chills raced up my spine as he continued, "what about you? You think of the past. But what will happen after…if you are a Hunter?" He had been bending so that we were at eye level; now he lowered his head and I felt his lips graze the skin of my neck. I shuddered, and arched my neck away, but the movement only served to press my neck more firmly against his sharp…_dangerous. _I froze as comprehension gripped me.

No…this wasn't…This was _wrong. _"Shi…ki…" I forced out, my breath coming in quick, sudden gasps.

And as suddenly as he had trapped me, he pushed himself away. One moment he was there, frightening me, tormenting me, _burning _me, and the next there was a movement, a shift of air, and he was a few feet from me. His head was lowered and his hand covered his eyes, as if he did not want me to see what was reflected inside.

"Do not…forget what I am, Akiya…" He spoke quietly. Then his hand dropped, he looked up, and his features were perfectly composed. Blanked. "This is what could be, if I lose control."

Rage sparked, then smoldered. "You didn't have to go that far to prove your point!" I suppose I might have been attempting a yell, but my voice was shaking as hard as I was. Pathetic.

"Well…" he said in a monotone, "think on it."

I swung round, furious, and wrenched the door open, wanting to be anywhere but here. He had been playing with me, and all I had been able to do was stand there paralysed, _mesmerized_. I slammed the door shut viciously, but as it always did, my heart cringed at the explosive crash, and I didn't move for a few moments, my hand still on the doorknob.

I wanted to run from here, away from the Moon dorm, away from Cross Academy, away from this madness, but I knew I would not – could not.

I sank down, leaning against the door, hugging my knees. Already I regretted what I had done, and the way I had spoken to him.

Indeed, if I was a Hunter, things would change. Already I knew somehow things would not be the same. Hunters and vampires…oil and water. And what of my future?

But what of my past? For me to be a Hunter…what had been concealed from me? _Why? _

And if I was not a Hunter, what was I then?

I stayed there for a long time, not doing anything, just staring blankly ahead. I thought I heard a slight movement, an almost indiscernible vibration on the other side of the door. And though it was impossible, I liked to think that on the other side, Shiki was leaning against the same door, and we were separated but by a few inches of wood.

* * *

**A/N:** You forgot, Akiya! : _He can smell you_

Fluff :D I actually wrote fluff! I must add, though, that Shiki wasn't exactly in perfect health. And what Akiya did probably counts as provocation :) So...yeah.

I tried writing Shiki's voice - was it good? Was it bad? Please review, I'd love to hear suggestions, comments, and really anything at all you'd like to say. (I'm insecure on this one...you can tell :D) I'll probably upload the next chapter soon, but I'll do it much faster with more reviews ;) It'd be great if the twenty reviews over two months could be shortened to...a week? =0=

I know it's asking a lot...sorry, guys :) I'd like to thank my loved reviewers, _xXxAiriinxXx, Pinbreaker, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, Lumi, Presto1995, crystalfeathers, RenewedBlade, Starlite-Angel24, crystalgardian, Loccloir, shadow-ninja44, AiAkakoSukiRini, MusicalSoul, NightxEcho, darklightningdevil, The Raven's Flute, basil795, Pineapple~. _Thank you guys so, _so _much! *lots and lots of heart signs which somehow don't show up*

This chapter is probably a bit more subdued. I guess it's just balance, because in chapter eight sunshine :D Mitsuko reenters the picture, and of course, our happy-swearing Hunter :) And heh heh...shall I not spoil the suspense? I'm looking forward to talking to you guys again!

sweet dreams,

forever - a i n e


	8. Answers!

Whoa it's been some time! I get kinda nervous just writing this here, yo :D When I started this chapter I got so frustrated I deleted it and started again. And again. Then before I knew it I couldn't stop, and lo and behold! One chapter done and a mountain of homework due...tomorrow 0.0

Hahaha but I really_ really_ didn't want to abandon this story! Here it is, guys, chapter eight! 3 Get ready for a few surprises.

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Vampire Knight

ps: please read the A/N!

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction – AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu© _forever- a i n e_

**Chapter Eight:**

_...Answers!..._

* * *

My back tingled, and I looked up, shuddering.

His eyes widened when I turned to him unhesitatingly, and something inside me froze when I did that, too. "Hanabusa-san?" I got to my feet, needing to get out of here, fast.

Sensing a vampire before he arrives. I might be wrong, but wasn't it only Hunters that could do that?

Aidou nodded, stopping beside me. "Akiya-chan. It's getting late. You should get away from here…really fast, okay?" He smiled, and the smile reached his eyes, but in a way that wasn't quite right.

I made to leave, then paused. What the heck.

"Why?" I asked him.

"That's Kaname's orders." It took conscious effort not to back away as he walked forward, so that we were barely a foot apart. "So really, you should hurry up and go."

"No..." The urge to take a step back was almost overwhelming. "What I meant was, why do you look like that, even though my blood isn't appealing?"

"Look like what?" He moved forward, and I shifted backwards, jumping slightly when I felt the cold steel of the metal railing against my back. I glanced sideways. Three steps to the stairs.

I trusted to the fact that, knowing what happened to Shiki after my blood_ touched_ him, there was no way Aidou would dare to drink my blood.

At least, I prayed that he wouldn't.

I inhaled unsteadily. "Like you're about to attack me." I looked up – it irked me I had to stretch my neck back so far up – into his striking eyes.

He leaned forward and his hands shot forward, grasping the railing on either side of me, effectively trapping me between them. "Shiki never told you, did he?" His eyes were so cold. When just a moment ago he had been smiling? The guy had issues.

"Never told me what?" At least my voice was steady.

He grabbed my hand, raising it in a fluid motion so that when he spoke his breath played lightly on the back of my hand. I shivered involuntarily, but there was no way I could pull away. "It seems that when you get excited – or emotionally disturbed, I guess, your blood loses that disgusting _Hunter _taint. And when it's gone, you smell…sweet…" the tip of his fangs grazed the skin of my hand and I gasped – there was some movement in Shiki's room, the sound of something being shoved away -

and Aidou was there in an instant, smashing his fist against the door just as it opened. "So, see you, Akiya-chan!" He grinned cheerfully.

I rubbed the back of my hand roughly, where it felt like it was being set of fire…What?

Never taking my eyes off him, I stumbled down one step, then another. Then I turned and – stopped.

"No…" I was gripping my hand so hard there was definitely going to be bruises, "impossible…"

"What – _oh_, since when did they appear?" Aidou raised his brows at the crowd of vampires clustered around the windows. "Ah, Shiki, don't worry, they're just some vampires. Anyway, if you move from that room, Kaname'll kill me, so _don't move,_ okay? Don't!"

Just_ some vampires?_ There were so many of them the night sky had turned crimson. So Shiki couldn't come out and – hopefully – help me or Aidou'd get killed?

"Like I care, just go die." I snapped at the blonde vampire.

"Hey, that's not fair!" He pouted. "Well, anyway, there's some disgusting smelling _thing_ outside, it'll help you get out. I wasn't kidding about Kaname, so if you don't mind-"

"I do!"

"-I'll stay here," he continued, completely ignoring me.

I stayed for a moment, glancing between a potential handsome, auburn haired, lethargic savior and the door, behind which was a disgusting, smelly thing.

I took a deep breath.

As I walked to the front door, I heard Aidou talking to Shiki – presumably, either him or the door.

"Who? Dunno. You mean you can't smell it?"

Slowing down my pace, I tried to overhear their conversation. How was I going to get out of this? If it was my blood acting up because I was 'emotionally disturbed'…I tried to calm down.

"Geez, Shiki, you're seriously sick…it's the Hunter, the one who was stinking up the place awhile ago…"

The door exploded.

* * *

"YOOOOOO!" I jerked upwards and slammed headfirst into something sharp. It was a chin. Attached to a head. Sort of. I guess. Head attached to neck attached to body…The morning fog in my brain exploded away.

"Mitsuko?" I gasped, rubbing my head. "You're released from the hospital? You're fine?"

"Not anymore," She snapped, wincing as she rubbed her cheek. She was already dressed, and was carrying her typical nothing to bring to school.

"Nice to know you're back," I grinned, getting off the bed.

"Yeah, well, I sure felt the love." Then she smirked right back at me, to my puzzlement. "If you don't get to school in five minutes, you'll be getting loads of love from Ojiro, though?"

I looked out at the brightening horizon.

"SHIT!" I leaped into the bathroom, grabbing my uniform as I went.

"Well, see ya, sucker!"

"Hey! There are some new people coming to school today. Can you wait for me!" I yelled through the door, throwing my clothes on.

"New people?"

"Yeah…some guy named Ishinara Takeshi and-"

"-_What!_"

My hand clenched, squirting a worm of toothpaste on my knuckles. I cursed. "You know him?"

"No…"

As we ran to school and she demanded details, I found myself remembering what happened, and wondering if it was all a dream. Well, if _he _appeared in class today, then that would mean all of that had really happened.

* * *

**T H E**** N I G H T B E F O R E**

The door exploded.

Not the front door, though. Instead, it was the door to Shiki's room; it blew apart as if a truck had smashed into it. It was hard to believe, from his outstretched fist, that all Shiki had done was punch.

I had a brief glimpse of him shrugging off Aidou's hand ("Noooooo Shiki, Kaname's gonna be pissed I'll die!") before something grabbed my wrist and pulled me out from the house…into the vampires. _Into the - _

I screamed.

A hand snapped over my mouth, cutting me short. My neck snapped up, and I managed to see his face. Aidou hadn't been wrong, it was the blonde Hunter who had very recently leaped off Shiki's window.

"Hey, don't make too much noise. More will come." His voice was low and quiet, and from the way Shiki was glaring above my head, they seemed to be sizing each other up. I nodded, then when nothing happened, I stepped backwards hard, just as Shiki moved forward.

It was a stupid move.

His hand dropped from my mouth – as I had wanted from the start – but then he raised his brows as I staggered away. "What, are you scared of the vampire after all?"

"What – No!" I couldn't even begin to guess what Shiki was thinking, I couldn't even guess from his eyes, shadowed in the darkness. "No." I shook my head quickly, insistently.

Their eyes locked on each other, both glares unwavering, and both strangely lethargic in their own way. Shiki was lethargic in a half-lazy sort of way, as if he was lazy but was ready to act instantly _within _the laziness, whereas Hunter-san gave me the impression of wavering between a serious sort of lethargy and...whatever else was in him.

Hunter and vampires killed each other, so I guess the tension was to be expected.

"Disappear." Shiki spoke.

I froze. Me?

But then one by one, the vampires left. Leaving the three of us standing outside in an unnatural silence.

"Great, the vampires are gone, the one and a half Hunters are gonna go, so, geez, Shiki!" Aidou popped up from nowhere behind Shiki, acting like a kid.

One and a half Hunters? I scowled.

"Aidou-san…can you keep this from Kaname?"

"_No-" _

"Stay in your area like a good boy. Vampire." The Hunter smirked. "And besides…I may not be a Prefect, but I _will _kill you if you step out of here at night."

"Uhhhh…" I stepped in. This was definitely a good time to step in.

"My name," Shiki drew his words out, "is Senri Shiki."

"I'm Ishinara Takeshi." There was a short pause.

"What!" Aidou snapped. "There's no way I'm gonna introduce myself to you. You…" He glared at Takeshi, "You're just a rogue Hunter, right? Don't kid around with me."

"Aidou-san…" Shiki sighed.

"And his face! It's freaking irritating!" His eyes turned cold, abruptly losing their indignant expression to become chips of ice. "I can't stand the sight of him."

Takeshi took a step forward, his hand moving instinctively to his belt. "It's not like you're dazzling me either, ugly." His eyes narrowed as his hand clutched at empty air, but apparently whatever was supposed to be at his belt wasn't there now.

"Alright. He's ugly." I touched his arm gently, wondering if he would lash out. He didn't. Aidou was glaring at me – did I just call him ugly?

Ah, if looks could kill.

Was this the first time someone had called him that? I hurriedly continued, "you're ugly. I'm ugly. We're pretty much all ugly. So, ugly," I tried my best to sound casual, but there was something distinctly ridiculous going on here, "why did you come back?"

His eyes narrowed in confusion, and he shook his head with a faint smile. "Uh. We've decided to tell you all we know. The rest of the rogue Hunters agreed." My heart leaped.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

Perhaps I could finally, _finally, _get some answers. "So…" I remembered the situation and made a heroic effort not to take my eyes off him. Play dumb, Akiya,"…talk."

He raised his brows. "There's no way I'm telling them too, though."

I hesitated. "I will anyway." I quailed then, under the look in his eyes, a mix of puzzlement and disgust.

He had remarkable control over his features – he was neutral in an instant. "I see," he said quietly. "Then whatever. At the least, I'm not going to tell you here, okay?"

"In her room?" Shiki spoke suddenly.

In my-! "No way!"

"I'm fine," Takeshi shrugged.

"Shiki…" Aidou sighed. "You're going to owe me."

"Yeah. Thanks, Aidou-san. See you." Shiki walked up to us.

No, wait. Sure, it was logical, what with Yuuki and Zero doing their duty now, but _my room? _These two?

"Hey, um," I ventured, "not my room, please? Just tell me as we walk."

"If the Prefects ask," Shiki offered as we strolled out the Moon Dorm, "we're touring Takeshi-san."

I nodded. "Yup."

Takeshi gave Shiki a long look. I gritted my teeth. "He's my friend." There. Stupid Hunter, not _all_ vampires were bad!

"Sure, okay." He shrugged, then continued after a pause, "Kaneshi-san, what do you know about your…abilities?" Takeshi studied me intently.

"My blood's poisonous…and it smells weird normally. But it gets pretty good when I get emotional, though." It was kind of weird walking between the two of them.

So tall.

"What kind of emotions?"

"Huh, I dunno."

"Fear, probably…" Shiki spoke, looking straight ahead.

"That's interesting…" Takeshi muttered. "Then what do you know about your family?"

"Well." I considered. "Quite a bit, what do you want to know?"

"No, as in…do you know they're all Hunters?"

My steps faltered. _"What!" _

"Your brother, especially." Was this the reason why every year I was sent to boarding schools? Why they were always 'busy' and I was always…not?

"No," I murmured, "I didn't know." I glanced up. Could I trust him? "Then…wait, but then doesn't that mean I'm not a Hunter?"

"No, you are. You're just a very different Hunter. You and Seiichi are special cases." He raised his brows, but my face must have reflected my ignorance, because he continued without asking if I understood. "Hunter twins are special, usually one sucks the…life energy, out of the other one. So, yeah, one dies."

You've got to be kidding me! "That's sick!"

"Maybe. But I heard it's the same for vampires."

I turned; Shiki merely shrugged. "Something like that." He didn't elaborate.

Now that I thought about it, I hadn't yet seen even one pair of vampire siblings. My God…imagine growing up knowing you'd killed your twin, if you had one.

"Um, even so," I shook my head roughly. "Then why am I still alive?"

"Your mom – she didn't have twins, actually."

"Huh?" I frowned at Takeshi.

"She had triplets."

That took some time to sink in.

"No, wait." Triplets didn't make sense. Triplets meant three, right? But Sei-nii and I, that was only two. Then – "the third?" I blinked uncomprehendingly. There was something bad here. I could feel it, an absolute sickening feeling somewhere, struggling to be defined, struggling to be buried. But I didn't get it.

"Your brother…he – had the fighting abilities…you got the Hunter abilities."

"Hey…wait…I don't get what you're talking about. Sei-nii had? I got the Hunter abilities? What – _what the hell are you trying to say!_" I jerked in surprise at a hand on my shoulder, but didn't glance up at Shiki.

Why was the damn Hunter looking at me like that? What was with the sadness? Was that _pity?_

"You know it already." His brown eyes narrowed. "Fine…The third child died. Its life energy was sucked out. By you and your brother, although you two didn't know what you were doing at the time."

Huh. Strange, I should be feeling something. Like regret. Anguish. Something. Anything.

This blankness was just strange.

"Hey, that's enough." The arm on my shoulder curled inwards and I felt myself being drawn closer to Shiki. "Just leave it at this tonight." Was he talking to me?

Regardless, I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I'm okay. Just – just tell me everything today, alright? I'm fine," I tried bring my tone one note lower.

"She has to hear this today," Takeshi's eyes rested on the arm on my shoulder. "Tomorrow might be too late."

Shiki's hand tightened, then fell from my shoulder. "Are you really…fine?"

"Hah, of course. Thanks," I grinned. I wondered how much had shown on my face, for him to be so concerned. "Umm…Takeshi-san. Then why aren't I a normal Hunter? I mean, my blood even is…poisonous to vampires. That's not normal, right?"

"Nope. Like I said, you took the Hunter abilities from the third kid. And you probably took some from Seiichi, too. That's why your Hunter abilities are so devastating." He paused to pluck a leaf from the air before it could land on him.

It occurred to me then that he was actually pretty handsome. Nothing on Shiki, of course, but he was…really…uh.

I looked away and exhaled heavily. What was I doing?

"Likewise," Shiki spoke from behind me, "her brother took her fighting abilities, right? Kaneshi Seiichi…no wonder it sounded so familiar."

"Eh?" I raised my brows. He knew my brother?

Shiki looked at me. "That Hunter doesn't listen to the Hunter Association. He's killed many vampires not on the list." What? I thought of the weapons he had loved to play with since we were young. The loneliness had been there even then.

Even then he had already known he was a Hunter? Shit, this was a little too much to take.

"Ah…" Shiki turned away, but even from the back I could tell his hand was at his face. "Hey, Akiya," he sighed, his voice strained, "calm down…"

Oh. Oops. "Sorry!"

I turned swiftly, expecting Takeshi to go all cowboy, but to my surprise he merely watched Shiki's back.

"Hey, Shiki, you alright?" I took one step forward, then stopped as he tensed visibly. I moved back. I couldn't go near him, even if I wanted to.

"Yeah…"

"Is this your dorm?" Takeshi asked suddenly. I blinked and looked up.

That was fast, we really were back already. I hadn't even noticed. "Yeah!"

He smiled. "Then see you tomorrow, classmate-kun." He turned and left with a wave.

Classmate? I groaned inwardly.

So we were going to be classmates, huh. That sort of explained why he had known about the Prefects.

Aw man, like I needed more trouble.

"Hey, Shiki?" I hesitated, then took a deep breath. When I felt pretty calm I walked over to him.

Then I saw his face in the moonlight and realized we were pretty much alone here – and bam! My heart tried to leap out my chest.

My God, how was he _not_ going to notice?

The blood tablet he had been balancing on his index finger slipped and he flicked it into his mouth. "See you," he said before swallowing.

There was something in the way he said that, that made me pause. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"But you're still not recovered yet."

"It's fine."

I bit my lip to stop my smile from spreading. Stupid, I was so stupid.

What on earth was I being happy about.

* * *

**P R E S E N T**

"Hey, Kaneshi!" I blinked.

"Yeah?" We skidded round the bend, and ran for the classroom door.

"You said new people, right? Who's the other one?"

"Ehhh…" We stumbled in, where Ojiro was thankfully not yet present.

"_Hai, hai,_ no need to fuss, girls!" There was a chorus of squeals.

You've got to be kidding me.

I raised my hand and pointed. "Him?" Straight at Hanabusa Aidou.

He was sitting on Mitsuko's seat, while Takeshi was two seats away, surrounded by what seemed like the other half of the female population.

We passed Yuuki on our way up, and she gave us a sympathetic smile, while Zero merely spared us a fleeting glance, seemingly in a bad mood.

"Sorry, that's my seat…oops, sorry…uh, could you-"

"-Could you move your boobs out of his face for a moment? I need to get to my seat." Silence descended as Mitsuko smart-assed her way through, and I decided to let her pave the way – she did a pretty much better job of it than me.

"Hey," I greeted Takeshi, and he grinned back.

I paused next to Aidou, unsure of how to ask. How was Shiki? Where was he? Had anything happened? Did he get caught by Kaname? I couldn't ask _all_ of that.

"Um, Shiki…?" I settled on his name.

Aidou gave me a look that dripped with contempt. "I'm not Shiki."

"No!" I quickly cut in. "As in, where is he?" His opinion of me must be low. Really, really low.

"What, so he promised you something?" He continued before I could reply, "that idiot, there's no way Kaname would let him come in his current condition. No matter how much he fought for it, he should've known. Well, I don't know why I volunteered either…" I caught the glint in his eye.

No doubt about it, he was here to pick a fight with Takeshi.

"His current condition…did he get worse?"

"Yeah." Aidou glared at me. "He got so much lazier."

"I see I've missed a lot." Mitsuko commented, next to Aidou.

"Ahhh, no…"

"Got your head around everything I told you last night?" Takeshi asked as I sat next to him, and I thanked him silently for the interruption. Keeping this from Mitsuko was going to be hard.

"Yup. Absolutely." I tried to be cheerful, but it was difficult. What with all the girls at the row below staring at me, suddenly quiet. I felt like I was on stage.

"Hey!" A girl, surrounded by her friends, waved at us. She was one of the few still remaining at their original seats, not joining the fray.

"Ojiro's coming soon! Sure you wanna get caught like that?"

There was a wave of murmurs, and the crowd of girls glanced at each other.

It's a testament to Ojiro's evil that they left the two guys alone, even Aidou, at the mere mention of his name. Sometimes I wonder about our math teacher.

"Um, I was wondering..." I turned to Takeshi. Leaning back, he folded his arms and considered me.

"Shoot."

"Oh." I remembered. "Before that, Takeshi, Mitsuko. Mitsuko, Takeshi Ishinara." I introduced the two of them. Mitsuko looked at him, then ignored him the same way Aidou had ignored her.

Was it just me, or was there something forced about the two of them?

"Hey, Akiya." Aidou spoke suddenly, with a wide smile I didn't trust, "you're pretty today."

I blinked.

He leaned forward, "you're really beautiful today."

I raised my brow.

"Ah!" he gasped, "your bra strap is showing!" My hand shot up, only to find it _wasn't _showing.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, irritated. Mitsuko sighed.

"I don't wanna sit next to you when you stink so much." Why…why was he pouting? "Don't know how Shiki ever stood it."

I blanched. Stink…? Mitsuko shook her head. "All I smell is some weird lavender smell…probably from this playboy here."

"Heh? It's not weird!" Aidou protested. "Geez," he turned to me, "what's wrong with you? What's it going to take to get you excited?" He leaned forward, across Mitsuko. I edged away, startled at his abrupt mood change. "What about this?"

He traced my face with his hands lightly, my lips, then leaned forward. There was a collective gasp from the class.

And stopped abruptly, the tip of a pencil inches from his eye. No gasp this time, probably no one had exhaled out the first gasp of air.

He looked up, and the Noble vampire and Hunter twin exchanged death glares. The tension was nearly tangible, a current of electricity that sparked in the air between them.

They really hated each other, didn't they? Was it because they were Hunter and vampire? But it wasn't like this with Shiki.

Aidou glanced briefly at the class. His eyes narrowed, then the tip of the pencil froze. Literally.

A bit of the lead, so small that only the three of us could see – Mitsuko was blocked by me and Aidou – froze, tiny chips of ice all around it, then shattered into tiny pieces.

Aidou smirked as he straightened. "At least your scent isn't so bad anymore."

To my surprise, Takeshi smiled, too. "Don't do that again. Next time you do, I'll use something sharper than a pencil." The pencil in his hand snapped in two, then he threw the broken halves at the edge of his table.

"Next time _you_ threaten me, I'll kill you." Aidou looked dead serious.

"Yeah? You want to-"

Mitsuko's leg crashed on her table. "Dudes. You testosterone filled baboons. Shut the hell up."

"_Fukuoka-san!" _

"Oh." Mitsuko looked down at Ojiro, her leg still on the table. "Fuc-nnnnn…Crap."

"All four of you! Detention after school today!

"Eh!" Aidou exclaimed. "_Sensei,_ I – "

" – And _no arguments!_"

There was a wave of hushed whispers, and then –

"Sensei, I want to go too!"

"Sensei, I forgot to do my homework!"

"I forgot to bring my textbook!"

"I'm not listening in class~"

"I-"

"_QUIET!" _

"Ask," Takeshi murmured to me, "and ye shall receive."

I laughed out loud. For about two seconds.

* * *

I glared at the detention room door. Life wasn't fair.

I was getting an extra hour of detention above the two hours, and Mitsuko _and_ Takeshi were skipping! I kicked the door angrily, which was a stupid thing to do, because all that I achieved was a bruised toe. Aidou snickered.

I hobbled into the room.

"Very smart, Kaneshi-san," Ojiro-sensei remarked over his spectacles, before returning to marking papers.

"Stupid," Aidou paradoxically agreed, as I dropped my bag on the table.

Aidou dropped down on a seat next to me, and proceeded to stare out the window.

"Where's Fukuoka-san?" Ojiro asked sharply. I shrugged.

His eyes narrowed. "Again!" He exclaimed. "I'll be calling her parents soon. Takeshi too!"

I nodded politely. He snorted and returned to his papers. They were really going to be in for it tomorrow…I sighed.

"Aidou?" I turned to the blonde.

"I'm not sitting here because it's next to you." He snapped, suddenly in a _really_ bad mood. Come to think of it, it was currently about quite sometime after midnight for vampires.

And he was sitting right smack in the dazzling light from the window.

"I'm here 'cause it's close to the window. Damn_,_ I hate the light!" He groaned.

Yeah, that made so much sense. "If you hate it then you could switch with me."

"No, there'd be no point in _that._"

I jumped at the shrill sound of a handphone ringtone. Aidou just glared.

"_Hai?_" Ojiro lodged the phone between his ear and shoulder as he continued marking. "What? Now?" He frowned. "Okay." Ojiro dropped his pen and made his way hurriedly to the door. Then he stopped, and turned around. "Only go out after another," he checked his watch, "half an hour. If you let yourselves out early…" his eyes narrowed. "I'll _know._" Then he left.

Like I said, sometimes I wonder about him.

"Hey, so you want to switch seats?" I asked when Ojiro left.

"Are you an idiot?" Aidou replied. "Oh, wait, you still don't know?"

"Huh…was it something that happened during break? You've been tense after that."

"Oh, so you really don't know." He glared out the window. "During break Akatsuki told me some stupid vampire entered the compound, seems like it's a pain to find."

A vampire had entered…? "That's bad, right?" I stared at Aidou, horrified.

"Don't worry, it's not going to hurt the students."

"How can you be so sure? Damn it, Aidou - "

"- 'Cause the first place it went was your room."

I stared at him, stunned.

"Well, I guess the Hunter Association has finally made its move." He muttered.

I tried to put two and two together. "The Hunter Association's coming after me?"

"What'd you expect," Aidou yawned, "someone like you, of course they'd come."

"What do they want?"

"Your abilities, blood-"

- Suddenly Aidou sprang to the window. My breath caught in my throat - the vampire, already?

"Shiki, what're you doing here?" Aidou exclaimed as the auburn haired vampire vaulted easily in.

Shiki landed with an unbelievably light thud. "Couldn't sleep," he replied as he walked to Aidou, "Move, Aidou-san." I stared at him, surprised.

Not so much at his sudden appearance, than my reaction to it. When I had heard about the vampire targeting me, I'd been scared, so scared I was ashamed just thinking about it – but the memories of the meeting with that vampire, in the deserted building, kept running through my mind. I'd been terrified, yet the moment I saw Shiki…

I felt safe. I actually felt absolutely, completely safe.

It was dangerous, the extent to which I was depending on him.

"But if the vampire comes in…" Aidou protested.

"Don't worry, I'll kill it before it enters."

Aidou shrugged and stood, sitting on the other side of me. "Well, whatever."

Shiki leaned back on the chair, and glanced at me. "Hey."

"Hey," I replied. Great, really imaginative.

He yawned, and shut his eyes. "Tell me if it comes in, Aidou-san."

"Geez, Shiki, then you might as well not have asked me to switch places with you."

"…Yeah, probably."

"Then switch back! If she gets hurt I'm the one that'll get scolded, you know!"

"No way." Shiki leaned back on his seat and stared out the window.

I thought they were forgetting something pretty important here. "Uh, by the way, what if it comes through the door?"

They glanced at each other. "Aidou-san, could you tell me if it-"

"I can't watch two places at once!"

A vampire was after me? I glanced out the window and shuddered. I didn't think it could get me when both Shiki and Aidou were here, but they couldn't guard me forever. Sooner or later…was it just a matter of time?

My heart began thudding hard. A vampire was after me.

"Why?" I stared out the window, wondering when the blood red eyes from my nightmare would appear. Aidou continued to twirl the pen round his thumb, bored.

"Something like poisonous blood…the Hunter Association would definitely want it." Shiki glanced almost involuntarily at his finger. "It's okay…" His eyes held a strange expression, as if he was trying to hold me with just his gaze. I couldn't look away, even if I wanted to.

W-what…I couldn't even move.

"You're getting too excited…" Shiki's gaze moved behind me.

Oh. My body gave a sort of spasm as it turned around just as my mind told it to stay absolutely still.

"Aidou-san." Shiki spoke, his tone enigmatic. "Don't think about it."

I couldn't tell from his voice – as usual it had so little inflection – , was he giving advice or warning?

The vampire chose that moment to appear, the top half of his head appearing upside down at the top of the window. So that it seemed I could only see his bloodthirsty, crimson eyes.

"V..." The scream was stuck in my throat. "Vampire..."

"Huh?" They turned to the window.

Shiki moved faster than I thought possible, despite his apathetic appearance – or mask? Before I knew what had happened, his finger was sliced open and the whip of blood smashed into the window where the vampire had been.

But it disappeared. The whip, followed a split second after by the line of ice, met only empty air and shards of ice. Shiki pushed me behind him as he slashed at the front of the class – _where the vampire was standing. _

I stumbled as Shiki shoved me behind him with his free hand, not once letting go his grip on my hand. "Aidou-san, cover my back."

"Yeah."

Ice flashed towards the vampire's foot - it leaped away just as Shiki's whip slashed at it, and I thought that was that. It was a goner.

The vampire grinned at me.

Then it disappeared - just - _disappeared. _The blood whip sliced through empty air. My panic peaked as it appeared just a few feet away, leaping away before Aidou could capture it.

Forget protecting me. Shiki - Shiki! Shiki and Aidou were going to get hurt.

"Damn it!" Aidou snarled, his frustration growing. "This piece of shit!"

Shiki's voice didn't seem to hold any worry at all, even though the intruder vampire was evading everything they were throwing at it. It just contained a steel I had never heard before. "From the Hunter Association after all...huh..."

"_Hey, Akiya-chan." _The voice seemed to echo in the room, a steady sound. Completely confident.

How did he know my name?

A wall of ice exploded in front of me, and the vampire leapt back. He grinned, an unearthly smile that held not a hint of warmth. _"Have you found out the truth of your existence yet?" _

This time Shiki's whip opened a slash on his face. I couldn't see him, because of Aidou, but the vampire's voice was unnaturally clear, even in the mayhem.

The vampire laughed. _"No one's told you yet, hmmm?" _He jumped, and landed on the ceiling.

Spiderman was supposed to be a _good_ guy – my brain spewed a bit of nonsense.

"Ignore him." Shiki's grip on me tightened a fraction, just short of painful. I glanced at him, his features tighter than usual, probably because he was still sick. Because of me.

This time, my eyes searched for the evading vampire.

"_Do you want to hear everything? Hmmm? About your powers. Your abilities." _The vampire appeared beside me, in the gap between Shiki and Aidou.

"_Your…destiny." _I got a good look at his fangs, in good view because of his manic grin,before he disappeared out the window.

"Tsk!" Aidou leaped out after him. "Shiki, you stay with her!"

In response Shiki gave me a quick look, as if assessing something, then suddenly the ground tilted and I was in his arms.

And he jumped through the window – from the fourth floor.

Everything blurred, and I shut my eyes against the whipping of my hair. It took this long to drop four levels?

"...We've reached the ground, please don't scream anymore…"

"Are you _insane!" _I gasped, trying to stop what was for sure an oncoming heart attack.

"Not so loud…" Ah. I bit my lip. Shiki paused. "Can you stand?"

He was carrying me. Shiki was carrying me.

It was taking a lot of self control not to say no. But I couldn't be selfish at a time like this. Besides, after falling down four levels it wasn't hard to imagine the effect it'd have on my scent.

"Umm…" I held my breath as he placed me gently on the ground. And caught me as my legs gave way immediately.

"Ah, wait…" Placing my hand on his shoulders, I steadied myself, trying not to show my embarrassment. I tried wiggling my toes. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He scanned our surroundings, then started walking. "Hurry. I'll carry you if you can't walk."

"I can."

There was a pause, then he murmured, "there's a bad feeling in the air…"

We set out at what must have been an agonizingly slow pace for him.

"Where are we going?" From the direction we were headed in it was pretty obvious, but still. To be sure…

"To my room. It's not safe in your dorm anymore."

"Until the vampire is killed?"

There was a pause. "Yeah."

We didn't speak anymore, and the silence remained until we entered his room. I thought a bit during that time – briefly about how I could perhaps make a diplomatic decision with the Hunter Association, but then seeing as how they had brought their offer across to me…no chance of that. But mostly about his reaction.

It took me some time to realise it, but as he and Aidou were also vampires, my phrasing when I said 'the vampire' was probably quite wrong.

Even our ways of thinking were different, huh. Vampires truly were…my gaze rested contemplatively on Shiki…something out of my league.

When we entered his room, I sank thankfully to the ground.

"Ah." He glanced at me, then continued talking as he moved to the window. "If you're tired you can use my bed."

My face burst into flames. "No…" I muttered. "It's okay."

"I see." He leaned against the bedpost.

Normally I'd have been too nervous about us being in the same room to even breathe properly, but last night I had barely managed to get any sleep, and today _had_ been one heck of a day.

Before I knew it I had fallen asleep. It had to be a dream, because there was no way I'd be standing in my house. The one I had lived in before moving. But…

…_everything was blurred. The furniture. The bed. Even the walls, as flat as they were, contained a slightly fuzzy feeling. _

_I walked over to the door and turned the doorknob, but it didn't move. Alarmed, I jerked it harder. _

_No use; it was locked. Rubbing the palm of my hand absently, I turned back to the room, fighting my growing sense of unease. _

_And froze. _

_The vampire, the one from the Hunter Association, was in the room. Okay, I could take that. Barely. This was a dream, after all. _

_But the back of my neck tingled – something was wrong, I could feel it. The vampire grinned, as if it knew what I was thinking. _

_It took one step closer. I backed up against the door. _

_What was it? What on earth was it what was so wrong about this situation what was it? _

_It took another step forward, and this time I couldn't retreat any further. _

_Then it struck me. The room was a blur. Everything from the curtains to the rug was a blur. _

_But the vampire was clear as day, just like me. _

_It's grin widened a bit too broadly, giving me the impression that it was about to go for my throat. It probably was. I desperately tried to turn the jammed doorknob._

_It raised its hand. _

"Yo, Akiya-chan."

* * *

**A/N:** Did you like Aidou? :D Although more importantly, did you like Shiki! xDD This chapter might be a bit long, but it was super fun to write! Ohh wait, the important thing!

Would you like me to write a oneshot for you? :D I'll randomly pick out a reviewer for this chapter, and if you'd like I will write one, one whichever anime/manga you want. You'd have to tell me anime/manga, the character pairings, and anything else you want to add, though! xD I'll do my best!

Reviewers, thank you so much. I read through your reviews and you guys nearly brought tears to my eyes - just nearly - in the end I needed a glass of water to get my throat working. Thanks _kaitou angel , Silent Blaze , Princess-Lazy-Chan , Sayonara Yasashii Akumu , SeirenTheReader , basil795 , Serena Lockhart , RenewedBlade, Everlasting Wonders , Ourania-Annais , AnimeNinjaNerd , Pinbreaker , xXxAiriinxXx! _Some of you guys have stuck with me, amazingly, since the start of the story, and there are so many new reviewers too! Thank you guys!

Could I be selfish and ask for reviews? :D

sweet dreams,

forever - a i n e


	9. Blood Countdown

Hey guys! From this chapter, yes, this memorable chapter, begins the Blood series!

I'm apologising ahead of time if I switch POVs too much, and if you think this chapter is bad. For the latter I have no excuse except to...blame the characters! Ahh, I'm joking. I think. xDD Well it was still fun writing this. Aaaand!

We've crossed the 100th review mark! I LOVE YOU GUYS! thanks so much! aww man, really...thanks guys :)

Disclaimer: It's called Blood Countdown because it's a countdown starting this chapter! Oh alright :D I don't own Vampire Knight!

please enjoy!

* * *

**Kuraderu**

_...shattered... a Vampire Knight fanfiction – AkiyaxShiki_

Kuraderu© _forever- a i n e_

**Chapter Nine:**

_.Blood Countdown._

* * *

**T H I R D P E R S O N**

He watched her with interest as she turned fitfully on the floor – she'd slid down horizontal a few minutes ago – and muttered in her sleep, her fists presumably clenched against an opponent.

Nearly ten minutes had passed already, as he tried with detached fascination to decipher her dream. But he hadn't a clue what to make of it. What kind of dreams did humans have, really.

'Home' had slipped through, then she'd whimpered 'out…'.

And then 'please'. Over and over again. There wasn't really a reason why it should have bothered him to the extent it did. Not that it bothered him. It was merely out of fear – no, concern – no – …whatever, that he was walking over to her corner to wake her up and – just to wake her up.

Yeah. Because humans were weird, they might get brain damage if they stayed too long in nightmares. Who knew? He didn't, that was for sure. There was even a possibility she'd get cancer, or stomach cramps – so it was perfectly normal for him to be concerned, because she was under his charge.

Somehow he felt that his logic was faulty, but by then he was already kneeling in front of her, wondering how to wake a human up. Rima usually tempted him out of bed with 'the early Shiki gets the Pocky', and then opened a box of it in his room. If that failed, she'd get irritated and, while munching on the Pocky, threaten him.

Shiki was never late, unless Rima was. It was pretty scary how she knew exactly what to say.

Would it work with Akiya? Hm. He thought about it for awhile, then decided – all or nothing.

"The early Akiya gets the…Pocky."

No response, just a further tightening of her fists, and a few unintelligible mutterings. He sat, trying to recall what Rima always said.

"I'll never share Pocky with you again…" Alright, so he was pretty sure all this wasn't going to wake her up, but he wanted to try it anyway.

"I'll never share my umbrella with you again." Another pause, then his lip twitched. "The next time they ask us to do a kissing shot, I will say _y-" _

Akiya turned almost convulsively and banged her head against the wall. He winced. Well, at least she'd woken.

He waited for her to sit up, slightly worried about how hard she hit her head. And waited.

And waited.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he turned her gently so that she faced him. Frowning, he brushed a few stray hairs from her cheek.

_Why isn't she awake? _

There wasn't a need to check her pulse because he knew she was breathing, but he checked it anyway. Her heart was racing, much too fast, in his opinion, for her to remain asleep.

"Hey, Akiya." He tightened his grip on her wrist slightly, then a bit more, before putting her hand down and placing one hand on her cheek. "Akiya."

Looking her up and down, he wondered how to wake her – what places could he _touch, _seriously?

"_Akiya." _He shook her slightly, but her head rolled to the side, her body limp.

His hand moved to her forehead. No fever, but unnaturally cold.

Wait, when had her mutterings stopped?

Her face, too, it was no longer tight, she looked completely relaxed. More accurately, her face was completely slack, like she was in a dreamless coma. Like she was _dea- _

His fingers were checking her pulse at her neck before he realized he had moved to do it. Slowly, _slowly…_he inhaled, surprised at the shakiness of the action. Spend too much time with noble vampires who could heal most wounds in a matter of minutes, and he forgot how fatal those same wounds would be to humans.

She looked so fragile, lying there, that an overwhelming feeling suddenly washed over him. How was he going to protect her? Could he protect her? Was he good enough? It was her _life _he was in charge of.

The door swung suddenly open, and he swung round, hands locking in place almost convulsively, his whole body suddenly tense and coiled like a spring.

"Shiki, we have to go help…eliminate…Level E..." Rima's words trailed off as she faltered at the door, and for a moment the two of them stared at each other in perfect silence.

Shiki had one hand under the Kaneshi girl's head, the other pressed lightly on her neck, and a…_scary…_expression on his face. A second passed and he relaxed slightly, but the image was burned in her mind, the way he looked as if he was about to leap up at her and – and…

She had seen other vampires like that before, when they were feeding, or about to, and she'd accidentally walked in on them. They would instantly – instinctively – half shield the victim with their body, locking their arms like the bars of a cage, and _snarl. _

When young, tiny Rima had once stumbled on a feeding, she'd been so frightened by the ferocity of the growl that her knees gave way and she crumpled to the ground, terrified. Then the vampire had realized she wasn't a threat, and turned back to his feeding with a gruff 'get lost, girl'.

Another second passed, and Shiki let his hands relax.

"Rima," he greeted as he turned his attention back to the unconscious girl.

So that was what was different, Rima realized. When she stepped into the room, Shiki hadn't growled, hadn't made a sound, although his lips were slightly parted, as if just moments from baring his fangs. But what struck her most were his eyes, not narrowed like the vampires she'd intruded upon, but slightly widened, with a look that was breathtakingly _savage. _

The vampire that had snarled at her when she was young had exuded the threat _come one step closer to me and I'll kill you. _Whereas the feeling she got from Shiki's warning was more like _come one step closer to _her _and I'll _kill you_. _

She couldn't believe it. This was confusing, and completely wrong.

This was _her _Shiki. And she wasn't thinking that in arrogance, she was merely being truthful. They'd been friends forever, almost always together, eating together, hunting together, working together, they had come here, to Cross Academy, together. She knew everything about him.

Why – how could _she, _the troublemaking Hunter girl, cause Shiki to make an expression Rima had never seen before? Didn't even think he could make.

But she couldn't help thinking, _so that's how the two are different. _The difference between a vampire protecting his prey, and a vampire protecting his…his what?

His _what? _

"Shiki…you can't eat her." She didn't know why she said what she did, because it was obvious that he wasn't going to.

_The difference between chasing intruders away from his food, and protecting the…girl. _

"I wasn't about to…her pulse is too weak." He didn't look up, and her heart sank. That was when she realized she had been hoping.

Hoping? This was ridiculous.

"Shiki," she took a step forward. Her shoulders were too stiff, steps too hesitant, and for the first time she felt like an outsider in Shiki's room.

"Rima, is this normal? I…can barely feel her pulse." Looking up, he lowered Akiya's head slightly as Rima placed her fingers where his had been.

White and cold, the Kaneshi girl looked terrible. And frail. And weak.

And worthless.

"No…it's not normal."

Eyes narrowing, he wondered what he could do, for the first time annoyed at his own helplessness. Her skin was cold, almost clammy, and her breathing so shallow she almost wasn't breathing at all. She wasn't moving.

She wasn't _moving._

* * *

**K A N E S H I A K I Y A**

"But it's not like they have any choice!" I snapped, irritated.

"And why is that, hmm?"

"Because – because they're not allowed to…" I faltered, catching the weakness in my argument.

"And who doesn't allow them?" The vampire prompted.

Gritting my teeth, I buried my spinning head in my hands. "Kuran…" I muttered grudgingly. "Kuran Kaname-san."

We'd been arguing like this, back and forth, for who knew how long. Inoue, as the vampire had introduced himself, had taken all of my arguments and thrown them – artfully – in my face.

I'd pinched myself, kicked myself, even bit myself, but it seemed there was no getting out of the dream. I didn't know what he wanted, or what he hoped to gain through all these arguments, but I wanted out. I didn't want to debate with him anymore about how I was being wronged, made use and taken advantage of.

Even though he was right. At least, right in the sense that I couldn't unravel his reasoning like he could mine.

He leaned forward, and I slid backwards on the chair, still not comfortable with his presence. He'd already established that he didn't want to kill me, but still.

"So we've agreed already hmmm that one, the vampires want to protect you only because you're a threat to them. Two hmmm, the Hunters want you for that same reason. And you still haven't answered me, if both sides want you, then why is it you're sticking with the vampires? Is it because you're three quarters vampire, hmmm?"

"Three quarters vampire?" I stared at him. "What the hell?"

Inoue blinked, then threw his head back and laughed delightedly. "They didn't tell you? See how much they're keeping from you? To whose benefit could it be but theirs, hmmmm?"

"You got it wrong, I'm _Hunter. _I'm even twice Hunter, because – because my mother had triplets." I winced, wondering if he got what I was saying.

"No, vampire!" He exclaimed, and I turned in surprise. But we two remained the only ones in the room. "Three quarters vampire, not Hunter!"

"What?" I frowned.

"You've been talking to a Hunter, hmmm? A Hunter would tell you it's _Hunter abilities _that all Hunters are born with, but the truth is that it's vampire abilities!"

I blinked.

"That's how Hunters can be strong enough to fight vampires, hmmm?"

"That…" I muttered, turning the idea over in my mind, "but it's the same the other way, right? It could be vampires that have Hunter abilities."

"No, no, no! Vampires came first! Hunters exist only because of vampires, not the other way round, you see? Hmmm?" He tapped his knee enthusiastically.

That actually made sense. Hunters aimed to kill vampires, but vampires just lived their lives. It would be weird if Hunters came first – because then they wouldn't be Hunters at all, because there would be no vampires to kill.

So, vampire abilities it was.

In other words, since I was born a Hunter, I started off as half vampire half Hunter. Then that became three quarters because I – took – my deceased sibling's Hunte – vampire abilities.

"Yes! Hmmm, correct!" The vampire grinned, and I realized I had been speaking my thoughts out loud. "Except for one thing, that is not all Hunters are born half vampire half Hunter, the vampire part is different for different people. In _your _case, though, it was certainly half. Amazingly huge percentage, hmmm?"

"I don't think it's amazing," I said under my breath.

Then I considered his words. "If I'm mostly vampire, then why is it my abilities harm vampires?"

"Think of cake!"

I sighed. "I'm sorry?"

"Cake, little girl, cake! Imagine you put two tablespoons of baking powder instead of one. The cake would collapse, hmmmm?"

"Baking powder is the one that creates all the air, right?"

"Not creates, hmm, no, but fair enough…" This time he sighed.

"Then shouldn't it explode?"

"No!" He exclaimed, outraged. "Collapse! Oh, but that is not the point. Just a little bit too much, a tiny difference, maybe a bit too much egg this time, or anything! The outcome is draaaaaastically different. You understand, hmmm?"

I guess what he was trying to say was that even though only one quarter of me was Hunter, that one quarter seriously affected the vampire part of me.

He was making sense, though. As much sense as this whole business could make. It did explain why my scent was about three quarters less offensive than most Hunters.

He was being so open, so easy, so unbiased, and he was actually _telling _me things. Unlike everyone else.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" I asked suddenly.

"Hmmmm?" His smile widened, as if he had been waiting for me to ask that question. "Because we want you as our ally."

"Who's we?"

"The Hunter Association, of course."

"Why?"

"Why? Because, hmmmm, of your extraordinary abilities. No one like you has ever existed before. And in you, hmmmm, we might find the key to eradicating all vampires!"

I looked hard at him. "Aren't you a vampire too?"

"One that the Association created. So I'm loyal only to the Association, hmmm. I know everything's not clear yet, but the President can explain it all! Everything!" He extended his hand to me. "All you have to do is take my hand, and I'll bring you to meet him, hmmm?"

"What – in this dream?"

"No, in reality!"

"What? You can do that?" I drew back slightly.

"Yes, I can transport your body to the President, if you wish." He saw my hesitation, and pressed hard. "Don't you want to know all your abilities, hmmm? Before you hurt someone accidentally? Don't you want to know more about your family, hmmmmm? About the vampires in Cross Academy? Everything you want to know, the President will willingly tell you."

I glanced at his outstretched hand. Tempting. "What do you want in exchange?" No way this was all for free.

"Just to study your abilities, and your blood," he smiled again.

I didn't like the way his smiles never quite met his eyes.

But the offer was really tempting. Everything? He had been truthful so far, and I wanted to trust him. Shiki might be surprised at my disappearance, but he probably wouldn't worry too much…and I could explain to him once I was back.

I _really _wanted to go. I'd had enough of not knowing the truth, or knowing only half the truth. I didn't like being clueless all the time. I wanted to do something. To know enough to make decisions about _my own life. _

His fingers waggled slightly. "So, hmmm? Take my hand!"

I reached out slowly, a little hesitant. I wasn't hundred percent sure I could trust him, but I wanted to learn more about myself. If I was more informed of my abilities, then there was less chance something like my blood poisoning Shiki would ever happen again.

Our hands were less than an inch apart.

Even if this was a bad decision, it couldn't be _that _bad.

Half an inch apart.

Inoue's eyes were fixed on my hand, and it seemed to me he was almost shaking in anticipation.

A hair's breadth apart…I wondered what Shiki would say if he was here.

_The early Akiya gets the Pocky…_

Huh? I jerked in surprise, and the tips of my fingers brushed Inoue's. His eyes glittered with triumph, then horror.

A cry escaped my lips as an agonizing pain stabbed through my hand.

_I'll never share Pocky with you again…_

"_No!" _Inoue screamed. "That – stupid – _vampire!" _

The pain was spreading, flowing, scraping, setting my whole body alight.

_I'll never share my umbrella with you again. _

Shiki…

_The next time they ask us to do a kissing shot, I will say y-_

What was Shiki saying? He wasn't making sense. _(the pain!) _He wasn't going to save me. Was he talking to Rima-san?

The person I couldn't compete with. _(the burning…) _

My skin _had_ to be shriveling, _had _to be peeling away, why wasn't it?

I opened my mouth to scream, but then the pain reached my head and the air was expelled from me in a strangled exhalation. I was falling, falling, down a dark hold that didn't seem to have an end, consumed in a fire that I couldn't see and oh God it was so _pain…_

I could hear Inoue screaming _'noooo', _but I couldn't see him anywhere.

_Hey, Akiya_

Shiki?

_Akiya_

Why are you calling _me? _Where's Rima-san…Damn, it's gonna hurt like hell when I reach the ground. The pain seemed to be fading, dulling more the farther I dropped.

You can't save me this time, not when I'm dying in my own head. God, I'm such an _idiot. _Ouch…

Akiya

There was a hint of something in the Shiki-voice, that was hard to define. A little strained, perhaps irritation, perhaps frustration. I wasn't going to flatter myself thinking in another direction.

I smashed into something, so hard that every. Single. Bone. In my body must have shattered.

This time I screamed.

Agony, so excruciating I was going insane. Let me die. Let me die already, please let me die…

"Inoue, why is only her soul here?"

I couldn't believe it, even this pain was fading. But it was already so excruciating that its dulling didn't help much.

"President…there was – there was an interruption, hmm, a distraction, and she was conflicted, as a result, hmm…." A silence. "Because, President, she needs to want to be here in order for me to bring her here, but the interruption..."

"But I can do nothing with her soul."

Shit…I couldn't even open my eyes. Even breathing hurt.

Soul?

What soul?

Just leave me alone.

No, don't leave me alone.

Ah, it hurts…

"Well, just confine her for a moment while I decide what to do, Inoue."

"As you wish, President."

Confine? No no no go away go away don't _touch _me.

A hand grabbed my wrist roughly, and it felt as if the splintered shards of me were tearing apart.

This time, though, my throat was too raw to make a sound.

* * *

**T H I R D P E R S O N**

"Shiki, where are you going?" Rima half ran, trying to keep up with Shiki's strides, surprisingly fast even as he was carrying the Hunter girl.

"To see Ichijou-san."

That was all he needed to say for her to understand, and she was silent for a moment. True, Takuma would know the most about what was going on. Despite appearances, manga wasn't the only thing he read. For now, Kaname-san remained the last option, because his time was too valuable.

"Shiki…" she hesitated, not sure how to put her words. "Why are you so concerned about the girl?"

"You mean Kaneshi Akiya-san?" He looked at her, a gentle rebuke at the way his unconscious charge had been addressed.

"Ah…yes."

"Probably…because Kaname asked me to watch over her."

"But that's…you're weird nowadays, Shiki." Rima glanced at Akiya. "You're always with her, even at night sometimes, and," A slight pause, as she took in a slight breath, "I've seen you two together, you're very…comfortable with her."

"Yeah…she's nice." They were nearly at Takuma's door. Shiki looked at her, slightly puzzled. "Rima, what's bothering you?"

"Ah?" She stiffened slightly, before shaking her head. "No, it's nothing."

_Shiki, _she wanted to ask, _what's wrong with you?_

Three knocks, then they entered the room. It was early evening already, so Takuma would have been asleep, if it wasn't for the vampire who had breached the school.

"Eh? Shiki? Rima? What are you – is that Kaneshi-san?" Takuma put the papers he had been studying intently down.

"Yeah…Ichijou-san, do you know what's wrong with her?"

"Is something wrong?" He stood up, concern obvious on his face as he walked over to them.

"She's barely breathing, and she has almost no pulse at all."

"This…" Takuma's expression turned serious. "Shiki, did this happen while she was sleeping?"

"Yeah, Ichijou-san, how…?"

"Not good, the report was correct after all." He continued speaking as he gestured to the couch. "Shiki, the intruder's a vampire made by the Hunter Association."

"Made by…?" Rima echoed as she and Shiki sat on the edge of the couch, Akiya's sleeping form taking up most of the space.

"Yes, he was made. That's why his powers are so special."

"What kind of powers?" Shiki clasped his hands together, suddenly uneasy.

"This vampire is Inoue Yamamoto. He can enter the dreams of anyone he's seen, and from that dream transport a person's living body to a different place."

"What on earth…" Rima's eyes widened.

"Then, the purpose of the intruder getting inside was only to see Akiya?" Shiki asked.

_Akiya? _Rima glanced at Shiki. Not Akiya-san? No prefixes?

"Most probably, yes." Takuma held up the paper he had been reading when they came in, as he walked to Akiya. "This is the info we have on him."

Rima took it.

"Ichijou-san, that means that he isn't here anymore, since he's gotten a look at her."

Takuma nodded, checking Akiya's pulse and breathing. "He's most probably left already. He's a smart one, though. I say he was made, but he's as much alive as you and I are."

There was a short silence as Takuma continued his check, from her pupils to her temperature. Finally, he leaned back on his heels. "Shiki, this is just a guess, but I think something went wrong while she was being transported. Her soul, so to speak, doesn't seem like it's here. It might've been transported while her body was left behind."

Shiki was silent, still working out what he was going to do.

He was used to just getting by with everything, obeying orders, too comfortable with his apathy and too uncomfortable with himself. There were a few things he could do now.

Looking at the pale, still face of the part-Hunter girl, he realized there really wasn't any question of his course of action. He was in charge of her, he'd make sure she was safe.

Even if it was a little too late to say that now.

"Shiki, are you listening?" Takuma looked up.

"Yeah. What can I do?"

"Well, if you reunite her body and soul together, then it should probably be okay…"

"Should? Ichijou-san, isn't that a little too easygoing…" Shiki sighed. _Reunite, huh…how troublesome…_

"Maybe _neh_," Ichijou smiled, but his expression was troubled. "You better hurry, though, because if I'm right, after one day if she's not whole again …"

"What, Ichijou-san?" A cold feeling was creeping up over Shiki, gripping his chest, so that it was harder to breathe than usual. "Ichijou-san?"

Takuma muttered something, so softly that even with his unnaturally sharp ears, Shiki could barely hear him.

Shiki stared at Takuma for an instant. "Are you joking?"

"Sorry, but I'm serious. Shiki, what are you going to do?"

Rima sat silently watching the exchange, knowing that whatever Shiki decided, she'd follow him. She wasn't his lapdog, it was just that she was comfortable around him.

"I'll find her. Where she is…do you know?"

Takuma slid his arms under Akiya, aware that Shiki was uncharacteristically alert whenever he touched her. He stood, carrying her with him. "It's got to be a place not too far, reasonably big, because the Hunter Association President has never been one for small displays, and deserted…what about the abandoned warehouse at the edge of Takuya Town?"

"Any other places?" Shiki stood, and Takuma relinquished the girl.

"_Gomen, _I can't think of anywhere else. Do you want me to come with you?" Takuma walked with them to the door.

"No need…thanks, Ichijou-san."

Just as the three – two vampires, one soulless human – were a few meters from the door, Takuma called out suddenly. "Shiki!"

He turned, deadpanning. "What."

Takuma nearly smiled, amused that Shiki could stay so indifferent even at such a time. "What if she's not at the warehouse?"

"You're saying if I can't find her?"

"Yes. "

"Don't worry, Ichijou-san."

Takuma's wry humour disappeared, replaced by surprise.

That was a strange look on Shiki's face.

"I _will_ find her." He turned and with a step caught up with Rima, Takuma standing behind them thoughtfully, watching them leave.

Rima made as if to say something, then stopped herself. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but she _was _uncomfortable, if only for the reason that she couldn't figure out what Shiki was thinking.

"Rima, don't follow me." Shiki paused at the door of the dorm, still carrying Akiya.

Turning to face him, she replied simply, "you can't stop me."

"Rima…" He had no idea how to convince her, and didn't know if he had the time to.

"It's dangerous." She looked away. "At least if I'm there it won't be so bad."

"Yeah, it's dangerous, so you can't come with me."

"Shiki, I've gone on worse missions with you before." She frowned, not knowing why he was being so difficult. For the first time ever. They'd already long established a mutual respect, where he didn't harp on her safety because she was a girl_. _

So why now?

"This could be more risky…The Hunter Association is involved and like Ichijou-san told us, they're pretty strong."

"I can handle it."

"Rima." He tried to put his emotions into his words, to let her know how dead serious he was. "You can't go. It's too dangerous, you might get hurt…just wait here," he turned and began walking to the gate, "I'll definitely bring her back."

"Shiki!" She took a step forward. Part of her was happy that he was concerned enough about her that he wouldn't let her go, but the other part was dead worried. How could she let him go _alone? _

He raised his hand without looking back. "See ya."

Rima stared at his back. _Damn you, Shiki._

* * *

**K A N E S H I A K I Y A**

I couldn't tell how much time had passed since I was captured, but since somehow it was impossible to either faint or fall asleep, I'd spent the time since I was chained up trying to figure out how to escape. And it hadn't been easy, for several reasons.

Firstly, ten minutes of struggling with the shackles binding my wrists together had resulted in nothing but scrapes that in some places were severe enough to draw blood. Even though none trickled out. I had the feeling that even if I cut my wrist, I would just be left with a deep, pale, strangely un-bloody scar.

Secondly, I was behind bars, and unless it was conveniently unlocked, even if I freed myself from the chains I still wouldn't be able to get out.

And thirdly, I was transparent.

Not see through, per se, but translucent enough that I could see a hint of the rough concrete floor through my feet. If I put my hands up, I could see very faint dark lines of the cage through them.

Well, what I had heard about me currently being only my soul was probably correct. It sounded ridiculous, but unless it was a new Hunt – vampire ability of mine, the soul theory was the only other logical one.

It was kind of scary, but kind of cool, too, being separated from my body. But more scary than cool when I thought of being trapped in this form forever.

But I was an _idiot. _

I was going to drag my friends in this mess with me, assuming they even managed to discover where I was. I didn't even know that myself. I had already _known _Inoue was after me, and I was still dumb enough to trust him.

Oh my _God, _Akiya.

Despite the shackles round my wrists I still managed to whack my head into my hands. Shiki was going to kill me.

Even if he didn't, I was going to kill myself.

Although currently it seemed that would be difficult. How did one kill a soul?

A soul?

I stared at my hands. Umm…soul or whatever…I was a ghost, right?

So if I tried, couldn't I just float through this whole thing? The shackles, the walls, the building, everything.

I grinned. Why didn't I think of that before?

Closing my eyes, I tried to visualize myself passing through the shackles. Floating…be light, formless, solid-less, just go through…

What if I got stuc – don't think, don't think about that.

I wasn't sure when to stop trying, just in case I stopped while still halfway floating out, but after a few minutes I could still feel the cold metal against my wrists. I peeked out with one eye.

Nope, still bound.

Frustrated, I slammed my hands against the floor, wincing as the shackles dug into my skin.

Out. I wanted _out. _I _hated _being stuck in such an enclosed area, being chained to a freaking _wall. _Shit. I didn't even dare look up. Without looking I already knew, by the pounding of my heart and perspiration dripping down my cheek, that if I looked up now, I'd break.

I took a deep breath, clenching my fists.

Exhaled, relaxing my fists.

For a few minutes I tried calming myself down, but it didn't work. I knew that by refusing to take in my surroundings I was merely trying to avoid reality. I couldn't do that for long, it was too pathetic. I stared at my trembling hands.

I couldn't _not _do that either, it was too terrifying.

"Don't be so scared, hmm." I froze, head still down, knowing without needing to look that Inoue was outside.

"What do you _want _from me," I hissed.

"Hmmmm, the President wants quite a bit actually. But it's not like he can get it with you in that form."

"Then let me _out. _Let me out of here!" I didn't know if the cool venom I tried injecting in my voice work, but at the least Inoue didn't laugh.

"Well," he looked away, "can't do that either, hmmm."

I focused on the concrete floor, knowing he'd say it even if I didn't ask. I might have been being childish, but hey. It was all I had to rebel on.

A moment passed before he answered the unspoken question. "Because if we keep you, the vampires in your school will definitely bring your body here, hmmm. And that's all we need."

"They might not, you know," I began, desperately thinking of a way out. "You want to conduct tests on me? So do they. They'd just grab the chance and do experiments on my body while I'm stuck here."

"No, no, they will come. Hmmmm, Akiya-chan, because if they don't," he grinned then, that chilling open mouthed grin that made me feel like a side of meat, "in twenty four hours you'll die."

"What?" A choked whisper, that floated like a breath of air.

Without meaning to, I had looked up, looked into his cool lavender eyes that for an instant, an unfathomable moment that lasted a fraction of a second, looked so _sad. _

"Die?" I heard my voice, even though I couldn't remember speaking. All of a sudden the walls were much too close, the room too airless. The words echoed strangely in my head.

_Twenty four hours…if they don't come…d-_

_Die? _

I glared at Inoue. _They will come! _I desperately wanted to say.

But then I realised that the person who would most likely come to save me would be...Shiki. Not for any romantic reason, but because I was, after all, his charge.

Wasn't Shiki still a little ill from my poisoned blood? How long ago was that? Two, three days ago?

I remembered how Inoue had fought in the classroom. He was good. And there was no guarantee – I highly doubted it, actually – that Inoue was the only person in this place. Wherever it was. In other words, Shiki coming here was _exactly _what I didn't want.

_But you'll die! _

"Akiya-chan." Suddenly he was behind me, and turning furiously, I lashed out.

My leg passed through him.

He knelt down next to me, his gaze no longer holding even a hint of that sadness. It was merely calculating, and sickeningly amused.

It suddenly crossed my mind that he could be lying. He must have read my thoughts, because he shook his head and smiled.

"You think I'm lying, hmmmm? Look at you."

I glared at him.

"No, literally, look at yourself!" He pointed at me.

I glanced down grudgingly, then back up at him. "What!" I snapped, breathing heavily, still fighting the panic that unlike the rest of me refused to be exhausted.

"Don't you think you are a little more, hmmmm, how should I put it…see through?"

Ice water seemed to trickle into my heart. I looked down again, this time more intently.

He was right. Previously I had only been able to see the faintest hint of the ground through my legs, but now it wasn't that hazy anymore.

_Shit. _

When I raised my head, he was already outside, locking my cage.

Something occurred to me then, and raising my hands, I tapped my fetters to the ground, then against my knee. Hearing my movement, Inoue turned around.

"Oh, those? They're special, hmmmm. Don't worry." The corner of his mouth curled up in a smirk. "You'll not be able to go through _them." _

It happened so fast then, that I was still staring dumbly while the tall blonde guy brushed himself off, casually eyeing Inoue, who was lying on the ground in a heap.

"Trash," he drawled, "belongs in the bin."

Then he looked at me, and smiled.

"Hey, breathe." He advised me as he smashed a kick into the metal, causing the bars to shiver violently.

I breathed. "T-Takeshi, what are you doing here? What're you doing…"

Another kick, and I winced at the crashing rattle of metal.

"Help me with this for a moment," reaching behind him, he slid out two daggers. I frowned slightly, trying to recall what it was exactly – daggers didn't have two extra curved pointy things at the side.

"You fight with sais?" I exclaimed.

"Zai." He flipped them in the air, catching them effortlessly by their handles. The ease and almost unconscious habit he displayed made me think of the way I spun my pen around my thumb during class.

"What?" _That_ I'd never heard of before.

"One sai, two zai." He smiled, and I couldn't help but return it. "They're not sharp – I'll throw them in the corner, so watch out."

"'Kay." The chains weren't long enough to allow me to stand, so I used my legs to push myself to the side of the cell, as far as the chains would allow.

Then I froze, my gaze captured by the person behind Takeshi.

"Takeshi." I didn't look away from the person.

"What?" Takeshi's hand stopped mid-motion, bent at the elbow and the zai held just above his ear, tips facing backwards.

Looking from the other person's perspective, I was chained, helpless and pretty vulnerable, sitting awkwardly at the edge of the cell. And Takeshi's raised hand was holding two decidedly lethal looking weapons, moments from throwing them.

I only realized later that Inoue was nowhere to be seen. At the time I was too delighted, and a little disorientated at the sight of my own body as Shiki placed it on the ground, standing to reveal just how blood splattered we – they? – both were.

Then Takeshi turned, just in time to see Shiki striding swiftly forwards, his right hand in the same position as the Hunters' – bent at the elbow, hand above the ear as if about to throw something – as a sharp line of blood snapped from his index finger behind his head, and his eyes narrowed with a look that promised death.

* * *

ENDING SONG:

_Koe wo Kikasete - Big Bang_

* * *

**A/N:** Why is there an ending song? Hehe, the thought just popped into my head when I heard it, that it was really ending song-y and actually suited what I had in mind about Kuraderu. Talking about Kuraderu, I wonder if anyone's been wondering why on earth it's called that? Well, that's because...I'll tell you guys some other time xD

Was it bad? Good? Ahmm I tried my best but they didn't listen. Next time I'll try harder :)

Reviews for this chapter would be really nice! Many many many thanks to _RenewedBlade, twilightchick13, Midnightxwolfx, Ourania-Annais, Locclair, Bevtan888, ixamxeverywhere, SKArainbow, starry123 and Silent Blaze_! I'd especially like to thank you guys for the helpful advice and encouragement. It's really touching to know that after all this time the guys (and girls!) who were with me at the start actually followed all the way. You guys are the best.

Hopefully, my oneshot will be coming up soon :D My first oneshot! hehehe I can't wait :]

sweet dreams,

forever - a i n e


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